Left sided colo-colic intussusception in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A case report and systematic review of the literature

Intussusception in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is uncommon. Colo-colic intussusception is a very rare entity in children and when it does occur, a lead point is most often identified. We present the first reported case of a left-sided colo-colic intussusception without a lead point in a child with ALL. In addition a comprehensive systematic review of the literature is presented. This was carried out using MeSH terms and free text. This includes both intussusception in ALL as well as colo-colic intussusceptions in children. All major databases including EMBASE, PubMed and Medline® were accessed. Seven relevant articles outlining 9 cases of intussusception in children with ALL were obtained ranging from 1930 to 2005. Ages ranged from 7 months to 9 years. Four cases of colo-colic intussusception in children without an obvious lead point have been described in the literature. Details are presented in this report. Awareness of the association between ALL and intussusception is important to prevent complications related to delayed diagnosis.