Cecal adenocarcinoma presenting as colonic intussusception in adulthood.

Intussusception occurs when a proximal segment of intestine invaginates into a distal segment. It is a common cause of intestinal obstruction in children but is infrequent in adults. A 77-year-old woman presented with a 1-month history of intermittent abdominal pain associated with nausea and distended abdomen. Imaging showed a complex elongated sausage-shaped mass in the transverse colon with no obstructive pattern or free air. Surgery confirmed colonic intussusception in addition to a palpable cecal mass requiring a right hemicolectomy. Histologic study demonstrated adenocarcinoma in situ within a tubulovillous adenoma. Surgical excision of the affected intestine is the recommended treatment of choice.