Abstract
We report a surgical case of duplication of the alimentary tract in an adult.
A 22-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of abdominal pain and constipation. He had been operated on for intestinal perforation on the 14th day after his birth, but the details were unknown. Barium enema showed apparent distention of the sigmoid colon with feces. Colonoscopy and double contrast enema revealed a septum-like structure in the lumen with two fistulas; there was communication between the true lumen and duplicated one. The specimen taken from the distended colon, which was normal in the distribution of the neuroplexus, on acetylcholinesterase (Ach-E) staining, had no histological features of Hirschsprung's disease. Duplication of the sigmoid colon was suspected and the involved lesion was resected. Histopathological study showed that the distended colon had mucosa similar to that of the colon and smooth muscular coat.
Duplication of the alimentary tract is a rare congenital anomaly usually identified during the pediatric age. But a tiny minority remain unsuspected until adulthood.