Transient ileocolic intussusception in a dog with histiocytic ulcerative tiflocolitis: a case report

In human medicine, the association between intussusceptions and inflammatory bowel disease is well known, even if referred to only in case reports or a small series of patients. The exact cause of intussusceptions, in general, is unknown; however, any lesion in the bowel wall or irritant in the lumen that alters the normal peristaltic pattern may initiate invagination. In Crohn's disease the lead point may be dysrhytmic contractions secondary to the on-going inflammatory process of a thickened, inflamed segment of bowel wall. In veterinary medicine, the information available related to the association of intussusceptions and inflammatory bowel disease is limited. The present study is the first reported case of a dog in which ileocolic intussusception and histiocytic ulcerative colitis appear to be associated. Moreover, this is also the first description of the involvement of the caecum in canine histiocytic ulcerative colitis. Herein, we document a condition previously reported in humans with inflammatory bowel disease, and we believe that this work contributes to identifying the similarities between human and canine inflammatory bowel disease.