What is the Difference Between Intussusception and Volvulus

The key difference between intussusception and volvulus is that intussusception is a condition that causes bowel blockage due to one part of the gut sliding into the next part of the gut, while volvulus is a condition that causes bowel blockage due to a loop of bowel that twist around and folds over itself.

Bowel obstructions usually result in cramping, abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, vomiting, and inability to pass motions or gas. Many different conditions, such as tumors, hernias, adhesions, etc., can cause bowel blockage. Intussusception and volvulus are two different conditions that cause blockage of the gut. Both these conditions may present with similar symptoms and occur at any age. However, they have different etiologies.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Intussusception  
3. What is Volvulus
4. Similarities – Intussusception and Volvulus
5. Intussusception vs. Volvulus in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – Intussusception and Volvulus
7. Summary – Intussusception vs. Volvulus

What is Intussusception?

Intussusception is a serious condition where a part of the gut slides into another part of the gut. This often leads to blockage of food or fluid passing through and blood supply to certain parts of the gut, which ultimately results in infection, death of bowel tissue, or a tear in the bowel. The common symptoms of this condition may include belly pain, stool mixed with blood and mucus, nausea, vomiting, a lump in the belly, weakness or lack of energy, and diarrhea. Intussusception can be caused by a pouch in the lining of the small intestine or as a result of medical conditions or procedures such as a polyp or tumor, scar-like tissue in the intestine, weight loss surgery, and swelling in the intestine due to Crohn’s disease. Moreover, risk factors for intussusception are age (children affected more), sex (boys affected more), irregular intestinal formation at birth, and certain conditions like cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease.

Intussusception can be diagnosed through medical history, physical symptoms evaluation, ultrasound, or other abdominal imaging. Furthermore, treatment options for intussusception may include a water-soluble contrast or air enema and surgery.

What is Volvulus?

Volvulus is a condition that occurs when a part of the intestine loops around and folds over itself. This condition is often seen in the cecal and sigmoid colon sections of the intestine. Volvulus ultimately leads to bowel perforation, necrosis, and tissue death. The common symptoms of this condition may include abdominal distention, abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, abdominal cramps, vomiting, swelling of the abdomen, difficulty passing gas, vomiting, blood in the stools, and constipation. Volvulus can be caused by constipation, redundant intestinal tissue, adhesions, especially after surgery has been performed, or abnormal intestinal contents. Moreover, risk factors for volvulus are older adults (age 60 to 80) and people who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease.

Diagnosis of volvulus typically includes procedures such as medical history, physical symptoms evaluation, and imaging tests like X-ray, CT scan, and ultrasound. Furthermore, volvulus is normally treated through surgeries such as laparotomy and proctosigmoidectomy.

What are the Similarities Between Intussusception and Volvulus?

• Intussusception and volvulus are two different conditions that cause blockage of the gut.
• Both these conditions may present with similar symptoms and occur at any age.
• These conditions can lead to bowel perforation, necrosis, and intestinal tissue death.
• They may show similar symptoms, such as abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, vomiting, etc.
• Both these conditions can affect children as well as adults.
• Both these conditions can be diagnosed through physical symptoms examination and imaging testing.
• They can be treated through specific surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Intussusception and Volvulus?

Intussusception is a condition that causes bowel blockage due to one part of the gut sliding into the next part of the gut, while volvulus is a condition that causes bowel blockage due to a loop of the bowel that twists around and folds over itself. Thus, this is the key difference between intussusception and volvulus. Furthermore, risk factors for intussusception are age (children affected more), sex (boys affected more), irregular intestinal formation at birth, and certain conditions like cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease. On the other hand, risk factors for volvulus are older adults (age 60 to 80) and people who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease.

The infographic below presents the differences between intussusception and volvulus in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

FAQ: Intussusception and Volvulus

What are the characteristics of intussusception?

Abdominal pain, flexing of the legs, fever, lethargy, vomiting, and blood in the stool are some of the characteristics of intussusception.

What are the best diagnosis for intussusception?

An ultrasound, X-ray, and computerized tomography (CT) scan are the best diagnoses for intussusception.

What is the difference between volvulus and obstruction?

In volvulus, the intestine twists upon itself, causing obstruction. In obstruction, the lumen of the bowel becomes either partially or completely blocked.

Summary – Intussusception vs. Volvulus

Intussusception and volvulus are two different conditions that cause blockage of the gut or bowel blockage. Both these conditions may have similar symptoms. However, intussusception causes bowel blockage due to one part of the gut sliding into the next part of the gut, while volvulus causes bowel blockage due to a loop of the bowel that twists around and folds over itself. So, this summarizes the difference between intussusception and volvulus.

Reference:

1. “Intussusception.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. Lyndsey Garbi, MD. “An Overview of Volvulus.” Verywell Health, Verywell Health.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Intussusception” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Sigmavolvulus Roentgen Abdomen pa” By Hellerhoff – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia