Causes of Intussusception

An intussusception occurs when one part of the intestines folds into another part. According to Dr. Judith Sondheimer, professor emeritus at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in "Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Pediatrics," intussusception is the most common cause of bowel obstruction for children who are younger than 2. Male children are diagnosed with this disorder three times more than female children. Physicians do not yet know what causes most of the cases, but do know that several disorders can cause it.

Coagulation Disorders

As explained by Dr. Joel Moake, professor emeritus of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals," the term coagulation disorder is used to describe any disorder in which there are problems with clotting. Liver disease, a deficiency of vitamin K and disseminated intravascular coagulation can all cause clotting problems. The liver makes clotting factors, or proteins that the body must have to form clots. If the liver is diseased, not enough clotting factors are made. Vitamin K is needed to form clots. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is a disorder in which all of the clotting factors are used up. Any coagulation disorder can cause a hematoma, or mass of blood, to develop in one of the layers of the intestinal wall. That hematoma can trigger an intussusception.

Meckel's Diverticulum

A diverticulum is a small herniation or pouch that can develop in the wall of the intestines. Dr. Cindy Barter of the Lehigh Valley Hospital writes in "Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Family Medicine" that Meckel's diverticulum is a congenital disorder. It can cause diverticulitis, or the inflammation of the diverticula. It can cause an obstruction within the intestines, or perforation and bleeding. But Meckel's can also cause an intussusception.

Henoch-Schonlein Purpura

This disease is a vasculitis, or inflammation of the blood vessels, which is usually seen in children. But it also involves abdominal pain, joint pain and purpura. Children have abdominal pain because the blood vessels affected by Henoch-Schonlein are in the abdominal area. Purpura are hemorrhages that bleed into the skin. In this disease, bleeding can develop into a hematoma. The mass of blood, or hematoma, can trigger an intussusception.

Cystic Fibrosis

According to Dr. Beryl Rosenstein, professor of pediatrics at John Hopkins University School of Medicine in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals," cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease in which an abnormal gene causes some of the glands to make very thick mucus. If the thick mucus combines with a bowel movement, this mass can stick to the inside wall of the intestines. The mass can then cause an intussusception.

Celiac Sprue

This is a hereditary disease in which the digestive system cannot tolerate gliaden, a substance found in wheat, barley and rye. The disease causes an inflammation in the small intestines. In the October 2007 issue of the "Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons," Dr. C. K. Sinha explained that physicians hypothesize that celiac sprue can cause intussusception because the disease makes the intestines move in an abnormal manner.