[Adenocarcinoma on villous tumor of the rectum in an adolescent].

CASE REPORT--A 15-year 6-month-old boy suffered from isolated recurrent rectal bleeding. Rectoscopy and colonoscopy allowed to identify and to excise one large size villous polyp, which was the site of dysplasia and liberkühn adenocarcinoma. Transrectal ultrasonography showed thickened mucosa and submucosa and suspect adenopathy. Proctectomy, ganglionic curage and coloanal anastomosis were then performed; one of the excised adenopathies was metastatic. The patient died twelve hours after surgery from an unexplained cardiovascular collapse. CONCLUSIONS--Unspecific symptoms of colorectal cancer explain that its diagnosis is often delayed. Prognosis is poor related to the advanced stages at diagnosis and mucinous adenocarcinomas. Better knowledge of the clinical presentations and of high risk situations as polyposis, ulcerative colitis, hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer could improve the prognosis.