Do lots of people get intussusception, or is it unusual?

Rare: Intussusception is primarily seen in young infants. When seen in older children ( over 3 years) or adults a lead point must be excluded. The lead point could be a tumor and the intussusception is the first sign.

Incidence is 4/1000: There are two classes of intussusception. First is children less than 2 years, where the incidence is fairly common and the cause is idiopathic. The second class is children great than 3 and adults, where there is usually a lead point which requires removal.

Common in children: It is most common in young children less than 5 yrs of age, however, it can occur in anyone.