A 17-year-old boy slipped in the bathroom and landed on his gluteal region. When he got up, he developed pain in his lower abdomen and noticed bleeding from his rectum along with mass. He was taken to a nearby hospital where they documented it to be prolapsed omentum which was digitally repositioned and was referred to our centre. On examination at our centre, about 3 h after his fall, he had tachycardia but was haemodynamically stable. Abdomen examination revealed tenderness in the lower abdomen with no peritoneal signs. There were no bruises or evidence of pelvic fracture. A rectal examination showed only blood and no mass was seen. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen was performed which picked up a tear in the rectum about 2–3 cm just above the peritoneal reflection with the omentum plugging it [Figure and ]. On repeated questioning, he denied any history of rectal instrumentation or abnormal sexual activity. He had no history of constipation or rectal prolapse. He had undergone an appendectomy many years ago. He was administered broad spectrum antibiotics and taken up for a diagnostic laparoscopy during which a 3 cm transverse tear in the left anterolateral aspect of the rectum just at the peritoneal reflection with the omentum plugging it was seen with minimal contamination []. There were no underlying faecoliths. The omentum and pelvic cavity were irrigated with copious saline. The tear was repaired in two layers [] using four ports, one 10 mm and three 5 mm. A covering loop sigmoid colostomy was added. He made an uneventful post-operative recovery. Eight weeks later, a rectal contrast study was done which showed no leak of contrast, and a sigmoidoscopy to rule out an underlying pathology was normal following which his colostomy was closed. Three months following the last surgery, he is doing well. He was repeatedly questioned but denied any direct trauma, in any form that could have caused the injury.
A 73-year-old otherwise healthy female presented to the emergency treatment unit with sudden worsening of rectal procidentia (rectal prolapse) and pain for 3 h after straining at defecation. She had a history of reducible complete rectal prolapse for 4 years, for which she did not seek treatment. She had three uncomplicated vaginal deliveries in the past. On examination, she was found to have evisceration of the small bowel through the anus rather than a rectal prolapse, without any macroscopic evidence of strangulation (). There was associated uterovaginal prolapse and perineal descent suggestive of pelvic floor dysfunction. She was hemodynamically stable with normal blood pressure and heart rate. Her biochemical investigations including serum lactate were all normal. Emergency laparotomy was performed and the small bowel was reduced into the abdomen with ease. She was found to have a linear tear, 6 cm from the anal verge on the anterior wall of the middle part of the rectum without any macroscopic evidence of ischemia or neoplasm (). The reduced small bowel was normal in appearance with good peristalsis. Primary repair of the rectal defect was carried out after obtaining a biopsy from the rectal tear and a proximal defunctioning ileostomy was created. Histological examination of the rectal biopsy was unremarkable. She was managed in the intensive care unit for 2 days post-operatively and had an uneventful recovery. The patient was discharged on the fifth post-operative day.