Colorectal adenocarcinoma in children and adolescents: a report of 8 patients from Zaria, Nigeria.

Colorectal adenocarcinoma is predominantly a disease of the old and less than 1% of patients are below 20 years in most reports. Though increasingly younger patients are seen in Africa, most reports indicate that the disease is extremely rare in children and adolescents. This is a report of 8 patients below 20 years managed for colorectal adenocarcinoma in a 10-year period in Zaria, Nigeria. They represented 16.3% of all cases of colorectal adenocarcinoma seen at the institution, an incidence higher than that in other parts of Africa and developed countries. All the tumours were in the rectosigmoid region and are accessible to digital rectal examination and proctosigmoidoscopy. The histology was mucinous adenocarcinomas in 6 patients, 5 of who had a Duke's stage C or D disease and well-differentiated in 2 (Duke's stage B and C respectively). Haemorrhoids was found in association in 2 patients and schistosoma mansoni in one and were responsible for delay in referral and diagnosis. Only palliative treatment could be offered in most patients due to advanced disease. Three patients died within 7 months and one after 2 years from their disease. One patient died from sepsis following surgery. The outcome in 3 patients could not be ascertained. It is emphasized that children and adolescents with rectal bleeding must have digital rectal examination and proctosigmoiscopy as this is the only hope of making an early diagnosis.