Adenocarcinoma of the colon in a pediatric patient: a rare case report

Pediatric colonic adenocarcinoma remains an extremely rare, aggressive malignancy with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms. We hereby report a case of a 10-year-old boy who had been suffering from intermittent abdominal pain, constipation, and rectal bleeding for 3 months. Colonoscopy showed an ulcerostricturing lesion in the sigmoid colon, and histology was consistent with poorly differentiated carcinoma with signet-ring cells. There was no metastasis. The child had complete excision of the involved part with an uneventful recovery. This case illustrates the difficulties in diagnosing children with suspected colonic carcinoma and points out the role of early colonoscopy in children with rectal bleeding or changes in bowel habits.