Adenovirus infection and childhood intussusception
D. M. Bhisitkul, K. M. Todd and R. Listernick
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill.
OBJECTIVE--To investigate the possible relationship between enteric
adenovirus types 40 and 41 and intestinal intussusception in children.
DESIGN--Prospective, case-control patient study. PATIENTS--Sixty-three
consecutive children suspected clinically of having intestinal
intussusception were enrolled in this study. Of these, 25 children (mean
age, 1.4 years; range, 3 months to 5 years) had barium enema
examination-proved intussusception. Age-matched normal controls (24) and
controls with diarrhea (21) were obtained within 1 month of the index case.
MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS--Stools were tested for the presence of nonenteric
adenovirus and enteric adenovirus using a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme
immunoassay. Five (20%) of 25 children with intussusception had nonenteric
adenovirus in their stools compared with one (4%) of 24 normal controls,
none (0%) of 21 of the controls with diarrhea, and none (0%) of 37 patients
suspected of having intussusception who had negative results on barium
enema examination. However, no stool samples were positive for enteric
adenovirus. CONCLUSIONS--Nonenteric adenovirus infection and intestinal
intussusception may be associated. However, because enteric adenovirus was
not found in any of the groups studied, no conclusions can be made
regarding their possible influence on the risk for developing
intussusception.
