Limited Utility of Plain Abdominal Radiographs in Evaluating Intussusceptions Secondary to Long Indwelling Feeding Tubes
A 55-year-old male with initial presentation of dysphagia, weight loss, nausea, and a long history of smoking was diagnosed with distal esophageal adenocarcinoma. He was treated with surgical resection and gastric pull-up procedure. A percutaneous jejunostomy feeding tube was placed post-operatively. The patient was tolerating tube feeds well until about 2 months later when he presented with diffuse abdominal pain. No palpable masses were felt on physical exam. Abdominal radiographs showed no features of obstruction []. Since symptoms were progressive, CT imaging was ordered and showed the distal tip of the percutaneous jejunostomy tube acting as an anatomic lead point for longer length intussusceptions [Figure and ]. The tube was subsequently removed by surgery.