Nonfamilial juvenile polyposis coli in a child: report of a case.

Juvenile polyposis coli (JPC) is an uncommon condition, manifesting as hamartomatous gastrointestinal polyposis with potential malignancy. This report describes a 15-month-old girl who was diagnosed to have nonfamilial JPC accompanied by macrocephaly, clubbed fingers, and mental retardation. Radiography of the colon by a barium enema and total colonoscopy demonstrated numerous colonic polyps. A barium meal study did not show any abnormality in the stomach, duodenum, or small intestine. She died at 6 years of age from hemorrhagic shock due to massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding associated with a rectal prolapse. The related literature is reviewed, and the treatments and complications of JPC in children are also discussed. We emphasize that family members of patients diagnosed with juvenile polyposis should be questioned and undergo appropriate examinations of the entire intestine from the stomach to the rectum.