Virginia Via Research Day Book 2026

Medical Student Research Case Reports

24 PERSISTENT GASTROINTESTINAL DYSFUNCTION IN AN INFANT WITH CORRECTED ANAL ATRESIA: A CASE REPORT

Penelope-Marie Clanor, OMS-III; Shailesh Gohel, MD, FAAP Corresponding author: pclanor@vcom.edu

VCOM Virginia, Blacksburg, Virginia

diarrhea, the patient has had chronic constipation since the PSARP procedure. He has been taking daily senna and occasional rectal glycerine, as directed by his GI specialist. At his 12-month well-check, the mother had concerns for his disinterest in solid foods and continuing constipation. He failed to gain weight since the 9-month visit and has still required frequent use of laxatives and stool softeners at home. The current plan is for the patient to continue regular GI follow up, to continue monitoring his growth and development, and to develop a beneficial structured bowel regimen. Comments: The workup and management of constipation and GI complaints are drastically different in patients with and without underlying conditions. Children who have undergone PSARP or other similar corrective surgeries can have postoperative defecation disorders that otherwise healthy children do not encounter. These patients may require additional surgical

evaluation and management, but least invasive measures are attempted first. This case additionally highlights concern for delay in development or feeding skills if the child has an aversion to age-appropriate food. Continued monitoring is necessary to ensure that the patient is able to reach his developmental and growth milestones. Diagnosis: K59.00-Constipation, unspecified. Q42.2- Congenital absence, atresia, and stenosis of anus with fistula.

Context: Although pediatric constipation is commonly encountered in the outpatient setting, there are unique barriers in the management of persistent gastrointestinal complaints and decreased weight gain in an infant with a history of a congenital anal defect. Report of Case: The patient is a 12-month-old male with a history of imperforate anus with perianal fistula corrected with an anterior anoplasty after birth, and with redo posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) at 8 months old. He was born to a G2P1001 female without any chronic conditions at 38w3d with APGAR scores of 6 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. Family history is negative for chronic illnesses, but the patient's sister had surgically corrected vesicoureteral reflux. At 2-4 months of age, he had frequent soft to liquid, mucoid bowel movements and bouts of diarrhea that required a change to hypoallergenic formula. Although the hypoallergenic formula corrected the

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62 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)