Transient Intussusception Mimicking Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract

Intussusception in adults is rare and usually associated with organic lesions. However, in the current era of computed tomography (CT), cases of idiopathic and transient intussusceptions are being increasingly diagnosed. Herein, we present a case of ileocecal intussusception with symptoms mimicking those of acute coronary syndrome. A male patient in his 80s with a history of myocardial infarction presented to the emergency department with acute onset of severe precordial and epigastric pain, cold sweating, and vomiting. Coronary angiography did not reveal any significant new lesion, while abdominal CT revealed ileocecal intussusception without bowel obstruction. The pain spontaneously subsided without any intervention, and the patient was discharged on the sixth hospital day. Cases of intussusception may go unnoticed in patients suspected of having chest pain with a normal coronary arteriogram, as idiopathic intussusception is relatively common and subsides spontaneously. Therefore, physicians should note that intussusception is one of the differential diagnoses of acute coronary syndrome.