Adult Hirschsprung's disease: A case report

Background: Hirschsprung's disease rarely occurs in adults. If it occurs, the symptoms and signs are usually milder than in children and manifest as chronic or intermittent constipation. Curative surgical intervention could be performed with good results. Case Report: We reported a 22-year-old male with complaints of abdominal fullness, pain and constipation for 1 month. Abdominal plain film and barium enema showed a dilatation of the whole colon. A laparotomy with total colectomy and ileostomy was done due to respiratory distress. Five months later, rectal mucosectomy and ileoanal anastomosis were performed, and the patient's bowel movements returned to normal. Conclusion: Surgical intervention allows for curative treatment of Hirschsprung's disease in adults as shown by the case presented here and by review of the literature.