Unexplained abdominal pain due to a juvenile polyp in emergency department: a case report

Abstract

The most frequent clinical presentation of a juvenile polyp is painless rectal bleeding. We report a case of a 12-year-old boy who presented with unexplained abdominal pain without rectal bleeding and defecation difficulty. Digital rectal examination showed no external hemorrhoid, anal fissure or other anal disease. However mass with stalk was detected about 5cm above anal verge. The mass suddenly came out of anus during the rectal examination, which was diagnosed as a hamartomatous juvenile polyp in pathologic examination. Careful history taking and a digital rectal examination might be needed to evaluate the cause of unexplained abdominal pain and defecation difficulty in children and relatively young people.