Enemata: The Enigma of Rent Rectums in Children Presenting to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana: A Case Series.

Authors

Jessica Dei-Asamoa, Antoinette Bediako-Bowan, Clement Agyekum Nyame, Samira Abdulai, Awo Smart-Yeboah, Wilfred Kojo Asman, Victor Etwire, Hope Glover-Addy, William Appeadu-Mensah, Afua A J Hesse

Published in

African journal of paediatric surgery : AJPS. Volume 22. Issue 3. Pages 153-157. Epub Jul 15, 2026.

Abstract

Enemata are used in children in Ghana for various reasons, including for deworming, abdominal pain and constipation. A few isolated case reports have been on enema injuries in children worldwide. We report five cases of enema injuries in children aged 3-5 years, all presenting within 2023 at a tertiary institution in Accra, Ghana. The children presented late after their injuries and some of the guardians did not readily disclose the cause of the injury. The injuries were to the anus and rectum extraperitoneally, and in two cases, extended to the proximal rectum with intraperitoneal manifestations. Children who had anal injuries had their injuries located between the 6 o'clock and 7 o'clock positions. The injuries were managed with temporary colostomies and debridement, drainage of abscesses with or without primary repair, sitz baths and antibiotics. All five patients have had reversals of their colostomies with excellent outcomes.

PMID:
42731855
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 13 Sep 2026.

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