A rare cause of constipation

Authors

  • Sara Monteiro Department of Pediatrics, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte, Unidade Local de Saúde de Santo António https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3662-9444
  • Beatriz Teixeira Department of Pediatrics, Centro Materno-Infantil do Norte, Unidade Local de Saúde de Santo António https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5723-6351
  • Cristiana Couto Department of Pediatric Oncology, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Francisco Gentil
  • Gisela Silva Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Centro Materno Infantil do Norte, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António, Porto, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9722-0856

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25753/BirthGrowthMJ.v33.i4.32274

Keywords:

adolescent, constipation, tumor

Abstract

In Pediatrics, functional etiology accounts for the vast majority of constipation cases, while neoplastic etiology is rare. The authors describe the case of a 14-year-old male with a history of constipation that progressively worsened and became refractory to medical treatment. On physical examination, the patient had a distended and painful abdomen with a palpable mass in the hypogastric region. An abdominopelvic computed tomography scan revealed multiple masses highly suggestive of a neoplastic process. Anatomopathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT). DSRCT is an extremely rare and aggressive malignancy that can present without constitutional symptoms. This case highlights the importance of recognizing warning signs in patients presenting with constipation.

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References

Kim J, Lee K, Pelletier J. The desmoplastic small round cell tumor t(11;22) translocation produces EWS/WT1 isoforms with differing oncogenic properties. Oncogene. 1998 ;16(15):1973-9. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1201716. PMID: 9591781.

Bleijs M, Pleijte C, Engels S, Ringnalda F, Meyer-Wentrup F, Wetering MV, et al. EWSR1-WT1 Target Genes and Therapeutic Options Identified in a Novel DSRCT In Vitro Model. Cancers (Basel). 2021;13(23):6072. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13236072. PMID: 34885181; PMCID: PMC8657306.

Loening-Baucke V. Prevalence, symptoms and outcome of constipation in infants and toddlers. J Pediatr. 2005;146(3):359-63. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2004.10.046. PMID: 15756220.

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Published

2025-01-15

How to Cite

1.
Monteiro S, Teixeira B, Couto C, Silva G. A rare cause of constipation. BGMJ [Internet]. 2025 Jan. 15 [cited 2025 Dec. 9];33(4):292-4. Available from: https://revistas.rcaap.pt/bgmj/article/view/32274

Issue

Vol. 33 No. 4 (2024)

Section

Image Cases

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Sara Monteiro, Beatriz Teixeira, Cristiana Couto, Gisela Silva

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