RELIABILITY OF COLOR DOPPLER AND POWER DOPPLER SONOGRAPHY IN THE EVALUATION OF INTUSSUSCEPTED BOWEL VIABILITY

In two similar cases of irreducible intussusception with wall necrosis and perforation, symptoms had begun 24 h before admission and the pla in radiographs showed signs of small-bowel obstruction. The sonographi c (US) appearances, however, were different: color Doppler (CD) US sho wed vascular flow in the intussuscepted bowel in one case and no flow in the other. After radio-clinical assessment, both children underwent surgery and an intestinal resection had to be performed, manual reduc tion being impossible. The reliability of the US findings and the prog nostic value of CD and power Doppler US in determining the viability o f the intussuscepted bowel are discussed with a review of the literatu re.