Background: An intestinal invagination is produced when a portion of the digestive tract is introduced inside an immediately adjacent segment. The ileocolonic variety predominates in adults. It is associated with benign or malignant gastrointestinal tumours. Treatment in adult patients is the surgical resection.
Clinical case: A 24 year-old male, with 48 hours with intestinal obstruction, a 10 cm tumour in the right hemiabdomen, painful to palpation was identified. Increase white cells were the only abnormality in the laboratory tests. Simple abdominal X rays demonstrated intestinal occlusion and computed axial tomography showed intestinal invagination. Surgery finding was ileocolic invagination in the right hemi abdomen. The histopathological report was ileocolic invagination with necrosis.
Conclusions: Intestinal invagination in adults is uncommon. When it occurs, it is related up to 80% with gastrointestinal tumours, less frequent with Meckel's diverticulum. Treatment must be surgical resection of the affected segment.