Case of imperforated anus in children

¹Department of Shalyatantra, Mahatma Gandhi Ayurved College Hospital and Research Centre, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, India

^&Corresponding author
Monika Meshram, Department of Shalyatantra, Mahatma Gandhi Ayurved College Hospital and Research Centre, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Sawangi, Wardha, Maharashtra, India

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A 3-month-old female infant came to the outpatient department with the complaint absence of anal opening and stool passes out of the vagina since birth as told by her mother. The birth history revealed that baby didn't pass the stool after the birth. On physical examination revealed absence of anal opening and no any other birth defect was found. An imperforated anus was diagnosed by ultrasound, which shows the presence of a dilated distal bowel, with intraluminal meconium calcification. An imperforated anus is a defect in which the opening to the anus is missing or blocked. It occurs in several forms like the rectum may end in a pouch that does not connect with the colon, the rectum may have openings to other structures. These may include the urethra, bladder, base of the penis or scrotum in boys, or vagina in girls. There may be narrowing (stenosis) of the anus or no anus. Many forms of imperforated anus occur with other birth defects. Symptoms of the problem may include anal opening very near the vagina in girls, first stool is not passed within 24 to 48 hours after birth, missing or moved opening to the anus. Stool passes out of the vagina, base of penis, scrotum, or urethra, swollen belly area. Surgeries to correct the defect are anoplasty, colostomy and nowadays posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) is performed. The final diagnosis was imperforated anus, while the differentials include duodenal atresia, anterioranus, congenital anal stenosis.

Figure 1: (A) imperforated anus; (B) a frontal view of perianal region