CHALLENGES OF HIRSCHSPRUNG’S DISEASE PRESENTING IN AN ADULT: A CASE REPORT

Hirschsprung’s disease is a congenital aganglionosis of the submucosal and myenteric plexuses principally affecting the rectosigmoid or rectal segments to a varying length^1. It is usually diagnosed in the newborn period affecting 1 in 5000 live births but in rare instances, it is diagnosed in adults. ^2Adult Hirschsprung’s disease occurs when the patient is more than 10 years at the time of first diagnosis. The disease occurs in 2% of the population, the patients have milder disease due to hypertrophied innervated proximal colon compensating for the distal aganglionic rectum^3. These patients try to relieve constipation by using enemas and cathartics. Constipation or fecal retention will develop when the proximal dilated colon will no longer propel the feces f distally^1-3. We present a case of a 34 year old man who developed massively distended nonfunctional colon that was treated with sigmoid colostomy, anterior resection with colorectal anastomosis and posterior myotomy.