ROLE OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY AS A PRIMARY DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN PEDIATRIC INTUSSUSCEPTION: CORRELATION WITH SURGICAL FINDINGS

Authors

  • Noor Fatima University of Lahore, Pakistan. Author
  • Muhammad Ahmad Raza Al-Razi Institute, Lahore, Pakistan. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2932-8424
  • Faiqa Saleem Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Teaching & Research Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Author
  • Muhammad Tayyab Indus Hospital and Health Network, Pakistan. Author
  • Sania Shabir Al-Razi Institute, Lahore, Pakistan. Author
  • Aqsa Kanwal University of Lahore, Pakistan. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71000/5dr0sb18

Keywords:

Intussusception, Abdominal Pain, Child, Diagnostic Imaging, Pediatrics, Sensitivity and Specificity, Ultrasonography

Abstract

Background: Intussusception is a leading cause of acute abdominal emergencies in children, particularly between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. If not diagnosed and managed promptly, it can lead to serious complications including bowel ischemia, necrosis, and death. Among the available diagnostic tools, ultrasonography has emerged as a non-invasive and accessible imaging modality. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in identifying intussusception in pediatric patients by comparing sonographic findings with surgical outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of intussusception in children.

Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Radiography and Imaging Technology at Al-Razi Institute, Lahore, from December 2024 to May 2025. After obtaining ethical approval, a total of 310 children aged between 6 months and 5 years, clinically suspected of having intussusception, were enrolled. Exclusion criteria included patients with previous abdominal surgeries or those unfit for surgical intervention. Each patient underwent an abdominal ultrasound performed by an experienced radiologist using a Toshiba Xario 100 ultrasound machine. Final diagnosis was confirmed by follow-up surgical findings. Diagnostic metrics including sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and overall accuracy were calculated.

Results: Of the 310 patients, 189 were male (61%) and 121 were female (39%). Ultrasonography detected intussusception in 260 cases (83.87%), while surgery confirmed 285 cases (91.93%). Ultrasound demonstrated a sensitivity of 95.51%, specificity of 45.97%, positive predictive value of 81.92%, negative predictive value of 80.00%, and overall diagnostic accuracy of 81.61%.

Conclusion: Ultrasound proved to be a highly sensitive and moderately specific diagnostic modality for detecting intussusception in children, supporting its continued use as a first-line imaging technique in pediatric abdominal emergencies.

Author Biographies

  • Noor Fatima, University of Lahore, Pakistan.

    Master of science in diagnostic ultrasound, University of Lahore, Pakistan.

  • Muhammad Ahmad Raza, Al-Razi Institute, Lahore, Pakistan.

     Lecturer, Department of Radiography and Imaging Technology, Al-Razi Institute, Lahore, Pakistan.

  • Faiqa Saleem, Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Teaching & Research Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.

     Senior Registrar, Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Teaching & Research Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan.

  • Muhammad Tayyab, Indus Hospital and Health Network, Pakistan.

    Medical Imaging Technologist, Indus Hospital and Health Network, Pakistan.

  • Sania Shabir, Al-Razi Institute, Lahore, Pakistan.

     Lecturer, Department of Radiography and Imaging Technology, Al-Razi Institute, Lahore, Pakistan.

  • Aqsa Kanwal, University of Lahore, Pakistan.

    Bachelor of Medical Imaging Sciences, University of Lahore, Pakistan.

     

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Published

2025-07-10

How to Cite

1.
Fatima N, Muhammad Ahmad Raza, Faiqa Saleem, Muhammad Tayyab, Sania Shabir, Aqsa Kanwal. ROLE OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY AS A PRIMARY DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN PEDIATRIC INTUSSUSCEPTION: CORRELATION WITH SURGICAL FINDINGS. IJHR [Internet]. 2025 Jul. 10 [cited 2025 Aug. 29];3(4 (Health and Allied):95-100. Available from: https://insightsjhr.com/index.php/home/article/view/1076