The Most Common Symptoms of Internal Rectal Prolapse in Children Referred to Maryam Hospital, Karaj: During 2015 to 2020

Internal rectal prolapse is a multifactorial disease with an almost unknown source that affects most age groups. Since constipation is the most common symptom among these patients, most families and some gastroenterologists try to control and alleviate the symptoms of the disease by using laxatives. Because of ignorance about the existence of this multifaceted disease especially in children due to the inability to express symptoms and incorrect diagnosis, unfortunately the disease will last for years and will often be treated in the final and advanced stages.

During 2015 to June 2020, 153 children less than 15 years of age referred to Maryam Hospital complaining about last part of gastrointestinal tract. Data and information required for the study were extracted from the records of patients with internal rectal prolapse in a descriptive survey and with a retrospective approach.

A total of 27common symptoms were identified among children with internal rectal prolapse, the most common of which in order of frequency ratio are: 149 constipation (97.39%), 148 difficulty in defecation (96.08%), 140 painful defecation (91.50%), 130 redness of face during the act of defaecation (84.96%), 105 excretion fragmented and bullet-like feces(Pebble-shape dropping) (68.63%).

Late diagnosis of internal rectal prolapse in children will not only lead to poor quality of their lives, it will impose exorbitant medical costs on families. Given that very few studies have been done on symptoms of this disease in children, the present study could play a key role in diagnosis and identification of the disease.