COLORECTAL-CANCER IS UNCOMMON IN CHILDREN AND OCCURS MORE EXCEPTIONALLY IN A VILLOUS TUMOR

Case report. - A 15-year 6-month-old boy suffered from isolated recurr ent rectal bleeding. Rectoscopy and colonoscopy allowed to identify an d to excise one large size villous polyp, which was the site of dyspla sia and liberkuhn adenocarcinoma. Transrectal ultrasonography showed t hickened mucosa and submucosa and suspect adenopathy. Proctectomy, gan glionic curage and coloanal anastomosis were then performed; one of th e excised adenopathies was metastatic. The patient died twelve hours a fter surgery from an unexplained cardiovascular collapse. Conclusions. - Unspecific symptoms of colorectal cancer explain that its diagnosis is often delayed. Prognosis is poor related to the advanced stages at diagnosis and mucinous adenocarcinomas. Better knowledge of the clini cal presentations and of high risk situations as polyposis, ulcerative colitis, hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer could improve the prognosis.