Adenoma of the Rectum in Children

Adenoma of the rectum in children has received little attention in the literature. Its importance as a causal factor in rectal bleeding, in prolapse, in discharge and in constipation should be given consideration. Dewis,¹in 1906, reviewing 219 cases of benign tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, found 101 cases of tumor in the rectum. Of these, 81, or 80 per cent, were cases of adenoma. Erdmann and Morris,²in 1925, stated that in their series 63 per cent of the tumors of the rectum were adenomas. Rectal adenomas are uncommon in childhood. Bokay,³in studying the records of 58,970 children, found only 25 such tumors. Kronenberg,⁴examining 120,000 children, reported only 4 cases. Lawrence,⁵reviewing 7,000 cases of gastrointestinal adenoma from the autopsy records of the Cook County Hospital, noted that among 1,783 children under 11 years of age there was no instance of adenoma