What Causes A Bowel Obstruction?

Intussusception

Intussusception is a condition where one part of an individual's intestine telescopes, or slides into another part of their intestine. The most common location in the gastrointestinal tract for an intussusception to occur is the junction where the small intestine meets the large intestine, but it can occur anywhere in the intestinal tract. The mechanism behind this condition is unknown but is thought to be associated with a virus that causes the intestinal lining to swell and subsequently slip into the intestine underneath it. Intussusception is also thought to be associated with a birth defect in some patients, like a diverticulum or polyp. The part of the intestine that has telescoped into the other can become blocked or obstructed, not allowing food to pass through it. Symptoms of a bowel obstruction due to intussusception include periods of abdominal pain that alternate with periods of relief, lethargy, nausea, vomiting, mucus in stool, and bloody stools. This type of intestinal obstruction is treated using a liquid contrast enema or a surgical procedure to accomplish reduction.

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