Intussuception in adults: surgical aspects ========================================== * A.J. Montiel-Jarquín In regard to an article published in the February issue of the *Canadian Journal of Surgery*,1 entitled “Surgical images: soft tissue. Transverse colonic intussusception,” the authors should not have tried manual reduction, since a great percentage of the intussusceptions in adults (up to 65%)2,3 has a malignant origin,4 and manual reduction could cause a dispersion of the tumour. It is necessary to be sure that the lesion has no malignant origin, by sending a transoperatory histopathological test. Invaginations in adults must be resected without attempting reduction. They are mostly of the ileocolic variety, and coloenteric anastomosis in either case has good results, any time a patient is under adequate intestinal preparatory preparation, despite being different from neoplasic pathology. ## Footnotes * **Competing interests:** None declared. ## References 1. Correia JD, Lefebvre K, Gray DK. Surgical images: soft tissue. Transverse colonic intussusception. Can J Surg 2007;50:60–1. 2. Azar T, Berger DL. Adult intussusception. Ann Surg 1997;226:134–8. [CrossRef](http://canjsurg.ca/lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1097/00000658-199708000-00003&link_type=DOI) [PubMed](http://canjsurg.ca/lookup/external-ref?access_num=9296505&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fcjs%2F50%2F5%2F412.2.atom) [Web of Science](http://canjsurg.ca/lookup/external-ref?access_num=A1997XV48200003&link_type=ISI) 3. Begos DG, Sandor A, Modlin IM. The diagnosis and management of adult intussusception. Am J Surg 1997;173:88–94. [CrossRef](http://canjsurg.ca/lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/S0002-9610(96)00419-9&link_type=DOI) [PubMed](http://canjsurg.ca/lookup/external-ref?access_num=9074370&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fcjs%2F50%2F5%2F412.2.atom) [Web of Science](http://canjsurg.ca/lookup/external-ref?access_num=A1997WM66200005&link_type=ISI) 4. Lorenzi M, Iroatulam AJN, Vernillo R, et al. Adult colonic intussusception caused by a malignant tumor of the transverse colon. Am Surg 1999;65:11–4. [PubMed](http://canjsurg.ca/lookup/external-ref?access_num=9915523&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fcjs%2F50%2F5%2F412.2.atom) [Web of Science](http://canjsurg.ca/lookup/external-ref?access_num=000077950700003&link_type=ISI)