Colonic ganglioneuromatous polyposis in a 6-year-old girl – A case report and review of literature

Abstract

Ganglioneuroma of the gastrointestinal tract is a rare mesenchymal tumor of neural origin, especially in childhood. They are categorized into three different morphological subtypes, namely, polypoid ganglioneuroma, ganglioneuromatous polyposis (GP), and diffuse ganglioneuromatosis. Patients with ganglioneuromas have different presentations depending on the location, extent, and size of the lesion. We report here a case of colonic ganglioneuromatous polyposis, presenting as abdominal pain and chronic constipation in a 6‑year‑old girl. Although GP cases are reported in adult age group, cases in pediatric age group are rare. Only a few cases are reported in the literature of GP in the pediatric age group. Although rare, this disorder must be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis in every patient with symptoms such as abdominal pain, constipation, and lower intestinal bleeding, to avoid a delayed diagnosis.