Mucinous Colorectal Carcinoma in a 17-Year-Old Male: A Diagnosis with Low Clinical Index of Suspicion

Abstract

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is commonly found in adults. CRC in the pediatric population is extremely rare. Usually, CRC is diagnosed in children at advanced stage due to a low clinical index of suspicion. Mucinous type of CRC and its signet ring variant are the most common histological types which carry very poor clinical outcomes. This paper reports a 17-year-old male who presented with mild pallor and a 3-month history of abdominal pain accompanied with a mass on the left lower quadrant, and it was then confirmed histologically to be mucinous CRC of signet ring variant. This paper will help to raise awareness among the physicians and pediatricians in including CRC in the preliminary workouts for the purpose of shortening the delay for diagnosis which in turn would compromise the prognosis of the patients.