Prolapse of one segment of bowel into the lumen of an adjacent segment is called?

• A. Intussusception
• B. Haustra
• C. Crohn disease
• D. Malrotation

Answer: (A)

Intussusception is when one segment of bowel telescopes into the lumen of an adjacent segment. The proximal portion slips into the distal portion, creating a valve-like obstruction and potentially compromising the blood supply to the involved bowel.

This condition is most often discussed in pediatric exams because it presents with intermittent abdominal pain and can lead to vomiting or, in some cases, currant jelly stools from mixing of blood and mucus. On imaging, a characteristic finding is the target or doughnut sign on transverse ultrasound, reflecting the stacked, telescoped layers of bowel.

Haustra are the visible pouch-like folds along the colon, not a process of one segment sliding into another. Crohn disease is an inflammatory bowel disease with skip lesions and transmural inflammation, not a telescoping of bowel. Malrotation is an anomalous rotation of the gut during development, which can predispose to volvulus, but again does not describe telescoping.