Rectal duplication in an adult: unusual cause of a buttock mass. Report of a case.
OBJECTIVE
Duplications of the rectum are extremely rare embryologic events, with almost 70 cases reported in the world literature. We report on a 39-year-old female patient with a duplication of the rectum.


METHODS
Physical examination showed a left buttock mass; rectal examination revealed the presence of a painless mass compressing the rectum posterolaterally, confirmed by computerized tomography.


RESULTS
The patient was operated on with a abdominal then a sacrococcygeal approach. After a complete excision, the postoperative course was unremarkable. Histology revealed a rectal duplication lined with heterotopic cylindric ciliated epithelium.


CONCLUSIONS
This case shows that the diagnosis of rectal duplication is difficult and can be confused with other types of anorectal pathology. The presence of heterotopic ciliated epithelium has rarely been described. Complete excision of the duplication should be possible in most cases using a transcoccygeal, transanal, or abdominoperineal approach, depending on anatomic considerations.
Monek
O
O
Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, Hopital Jean Minjoz, Strasbourg, France.
Martin
L
L
Heyd
B
B
Mantion
G
G
D000328:Adult; D002081:Buttocks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012007:Rectum / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed