Background: intussusception is the most common cause of acute bowel obstruction in infants and young children. Incidence has been reported as 1.5 to 4 cases per 1,000 live births. Most intussusceptions are ileocecocolic; jejunal intussusceptions in children is extremely rare.
Clinical case: a 1-year-old male was admitted to the emergency department with diarrheal evacuations, without mucus or blood, crying and irritable. Previously he had melaena in one occasion. The abdomen was found soft and depressible and low pain. He was treated with ceftriaxone, omeprazole and metoclopramide. Two days after admission he had melaena and rectal bleeding. Plain abdominal radiography showed air fluid levels. Abdominal surgery was performed finding jejunal intussusceptions which were reduced. Demonstrable lesion as a lead point was a small tumor that was removed. The pathologist's report showed pancreatic islets cells.
Conclusions: jejunal intussusceptions in children are extremely rare and occur at any age. Main symptoms are intermittent abdominal pain and vomiting. Ultrasonography is the study of choice. Often a lesion is demonstrable as a lead point for the intussusceptions and therefore requires open or laparoscopic surgery. In this case, it was unusual to have the presence of ectopic pancreatic tissue as a lead point.