OBJECTIVETo investigate the annual incidence rate of intussusception over a 5-year period in Suzhou and to determine whether there was a potential link between intussusception rotavirus diarrhea.

METHODSOutpatient and inpatient data from 1999 through 2003 retrospectively were reviewed for young children (< 2 year old) whose diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasonography or radiography and patients were reduced by air enema or surgery. From September 2001, to August 2003, inpatients with diarrhea (< 2 year old) were detected rotavirus antigen in the stool by ELISA technology.

RESULTSFrom 1999 through 2003, 1101 cases were reported in children below 2 years old. The incidence rate of intussusception under 1 year age each year was 275.3, 338.2, 547.0, 515.3, and 425.4 per 100,000 child years respectively (the average annual incidence was 418.1 per 100,000 child years), and the incidence of intussusception increased over time from 1999 to 2003. A peak age distribution of intussusception was infants 4 to 10 months old (692/1101, 62.85%) and mean age was 9.62 +/- 5.65 months, which were greatly different from those of patients with rotavirus diarrhea, whose peak age distribution was 5 to 16 months old (252/331, 76.13%), and mean age was 11.42 +/- 5.14 months (Z = 6.90, P < 0.01). The peak month distribution of intussusception was from April to August (595/1101, 54.04%), which was distinct from that of patient with rotavirus diarrhea, whose peak month distribution was between October and January (232/331, 70.09%). Test: chi2 = 226.06, P < 0.001.

CONCLUSIONThe annual incidence rate of intussusception for < 1 year of age was 418.1 per 100,000 child years in Suzhou. We found no epidemiologic evidence for an association between intussusception and rotavirus diarrhea.