PERFORATION OF THE COLON IN AN ADOLESCENT GIRL

We report a case of a 13-year-old girl who presented with acute abdomi nal pain secondary to a sigmoid colon perforation, History, physical e xamination, and laboratory and radiographic studies were all suggestiv e, though not diagnostic, of an abdominal catastrophe, Her father died at the age of 30 from complications of bowel perforations and a vascu lar aneurysm, The unusual operative findings in our patient, together with her father's medical history, Lead to the underlying diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Knowledge of this family history at the time of presentation could have aided in diagnosis, Clinical manifestations and etiology of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome are discussed.