Why is it worth looking for colorectal polyps in children using ultrasound? A case report and literature review

Colorectal polyps are found in about 6% of all paediatric colonoscopies and 12–15% of those performed for lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The purpose of this report is to describe the experience of ultrasound detection of colorectal polyps in children and evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography. The paper includes a case report of five Polish children with rectal bleeding. The children had a median age of 5.25 years (range: 2–14), and four were girls. Symptoms had been present for 3–6 months before diagnosis. The common ultrasound finding for all polyps was an isolated oval or roundish, well-vascularised structure of varying sizes. Earlier visualisation of the polyp allowed for more accurate and safer therapeutic decisions. Ultrasound is a convenient, non-invasive, and feasible method for diagnosing colonic polyps.