An 8-year-old boy was referred with four episodes of melena over the past 10 months, fatigability and refractory anemia. There was no history of abdominal pain, loss of weight/appetite, or drug intake. There was no history suggestive of bleeding dyscrasia or family history suggestive of PJ syndrome. On clinical examination, pallor was noted without perioral mucocutaneous pigmentation. Abdominal examination was normal. All hematological and biochemical investigations were within normal limits, except for hemoglobin of 6.5 g/dL, and stool examination positive for occult blood. Ultrasonography of the abdomen, upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, and Tc99m Meckel's isotope scan were normal. Capsule endoscopy visualized an approximately 2 cm × 2 cm, single, sessile, submucosal polypoidal lesion in the small bowel. Contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) enteroclysis done a few days later showed small bowel intussusceptions. On laparoscopy, a 20 cm long jejunojejunal intussusception starting 10–15 cm from the duodenojejunal flexure was seen. This was reduced laparoscopically. An intraluminal mass could be appreciated in this segment. No other abnormality was detected. The involved bowel was delivered through the umbilical camera port incision [] and resection anastomosis performed. The histopathological examination of the polyp was suggestive of a PJ polyp []. There were areas of pseudoinvasion in the lamina, submucosa, and muscularis propria.\nHe had an uneventful postoperative period. Although we could not do a specific chromosomal analysis on the patient for PJ syndrome, a family screening was negative. There was no family history of cancers in the GI tract or elsewhere. At 3-year follow-up, he remains asymptomatic with no manifestations of PJ syndrome.
A 19-year old male Caucasian patient visited the emergency department of our hospital because of melena. He was previously healthy and used no medication but had noticed black stools one week before his visit. There had been no abdominal discomfort, nausea or vomiting. None of his family members had gastrointestinal diseases, and he used no alcohol, did not smoke or use elicit drugs. His occupation is unknown. On physical examination the abdomen was nontender and without palpable masses. Rectal examination revealed black stools. His weight was 62 kg. and his length 1,87 m. Laboratory tests showed an iron deficiency anemia with a hemoglobin concentration of 4.7 mmol/L (normal > 8,5 mmol/L) and a serum ferritin concentration of 4 μg/L (normal > 30 μg/L). Liver function tests, serum creatinine, albumin, CRP and glucose were all normal. Duodenoscopy showed a normal esophageal, gastric and duodenal mucosa without evidence of recent bleeding. A Meckel scan showed no evidence for a Meckel's diverticulum. A small bowel series however, demonstrated a large polyp in the proximal jejunum and possibly a smaller polyp in the distal jejunum (Figure ).\nAs this polyp was the probable cause of the patient's bleeding, a laparotomy with peroperative small bowel endoscopy was performed. Approximately 50 cm beyond Treitz' ligament, a multilobular, 40 mm large polyp was seen, which was subsequently surgically resected (Figure ). There were no other small bowel polyps; the suspected smaller polyp seen on the small bowel series was therefore most likely an artefact.\nPathologic examination of this polyp demonstrated a hamartomatous polyp with arborization of smooth muscle compatible with a PJP (Figure ). No signs of dysplasia were seen and the surrounding tissue had a normal histological appearance. Immunohistochemistry was negative for p53, focally positive for cyclin D1 and the basal parts of the cryps were positive for Ki67/MIB1.\nThe postoperative course has been unremarkable and no further gastrointestinal bleeding has occurred. Total colonoscopy did not show any additional polyps. A repeated, extensive family history, performed by a clinical genetics consultant, did not reveal clues (including pigmentation, nasal or gastrointestinal polyps or typical secondary tumors) to the occurrence of PJS in family members.