What does the stool look like in a patient with intussusception?

What does the stool look like in a patient with intussusception?

• A. Olive-green stool
• B. White chalky stool
• C. Pasty yellow stool
• D. Red currant jelly stool (blood + mucus)

Answer: (D)

Intussusception causes a segment of bowel to telescope into the next, which compromises blood flow and injures the mucosa. As the mucosa becomes ischemic and bleeds, blood mixes with mucus and is expelled with the stool. This produces a red, jelly-like appearance—often described as red currant jelly stool—which is a classic finding in infants with intussusception and helps explain why this stool description is the best answer.

Other color descriptions aren’t characteristic of this condition. Olive-green stool can simply reflect bile in the stool from other obstructive processes, white chalky stool suggests lack of bile or fat malabsorption, and pasty yellow stool points to malabsorption issues. None of these captures the mucosal bleeding and mucus that define intussusception.