Colorectal carcinoma in the young. A case report and review of the literature.

A case of sigmoid carcinoma in a 16-year-old boy is presented and the topic of colonic carcinoma in the young is reviewed. Although colon carcinoma in the younger patient is uncommon, its prognosis is distinctly worse than in the adult population, because the preponderance of mucinous adenocarcinoma in children and young adults represents a more virulent type of colonic malignancy and because the delay in diagnosis contributes to a more advanced stage of the disease at the time of presentation. When dealing with symptoms potentially referrable to this disease, a thorough diagnostic work-up should ensue.