Which symptom pattern is most characteristic of intussusception in an infant?

Which symptom pattern is most characteristic of intussusception in an infant?

• A. Intermittent colicky abdominal pain with legs drawn to the abdomen
• B. Fever with persistent rash
• C. Chronic diarrhea without pain
• D. Persistent vomiting without pain

Answer: (A)

Intussusception classically presents with intermittent, severe cramping abdominal pain that causes the infant to draw the legs up to the abdomen and cry during each episode, with periods of seeming well between episodes. This pattern reflects the abrupt telescoping of one bowel segment into another, causing brief obstruction and pain with peristaltic waves, followed by relief between episodes. Vomiting often accompanies the pain, and as the condition progresses there may be pallor, lethargy, and later “currant jelly” stools from bleeding and mucus. The other patterns don’t fit intussusception: fever with a persistent rash suggests an infectious or inflammatory process; chronic diarrhea without pain implies a nonobstructive GI issue; persistent vomiting without pain lacks the characteristic episodic cramping and posturing.

Intussusception classically presents with intermittent, severe cramping abdominal pain that causes the infant to draw the legs up to the abdomen and cry during each episode, with periods of seeming well between episodes. This pattern reflects the abrupt telescoping of one bowel segment into another, causing brief obstruction and pain with peristaltic waves, followed by relief between episodes. Vomiting often accompanies the pain, and as the condition progresses there may be pallor, lethargy, and later “currant jelly” stools from bleeding and mucus.

The other patterns don’t fit intussusception: fever with a persistent rash suggests an infectious or inflammatory process; chronic diarrhea without pain implies a nonobstructive GI issue; persistent vomiting without pain lacks the characteristic episodic cramping and posturing.