Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: In the absence of preexisting conditions, rectal prolapse is rarely seen in children older than four years old. This case report presents a peculiar instance involving a previously healthy five-year-old female who presented to the clinic with her parents due to a three-day history of constipation, hard stools, and painful defecation. Physical examination revealed a rectal prolapse. Given the infrequency of rectal prolapse without underlying conditions in this age group, the patient was referred to a tertiary emergency department at the children's hospital to be evaluated by pediatric gastroenterology. Most rectal prolapse cases in children resolve without intervention; however, in children over the age of four, it may require surgery due to the likelihood of an underlying neurological or musculoskeletal condition. This case emphasizes the value of a thorough physical examination to detect the finding and stresses the importance of ruling out a more serious etiology.
Source: Cureus
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.76432
Institution: A.T. Still University
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4405816375