Very Early Onset of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in a Patient With Long-Segment Hirschsprung's Disease

Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is a congenital defect caused by impaired development of the enteric nervous system. Inflammatory bowel disease has an increased prevalence in patients with HSCR. We describe the clinical course of a patient with long-segment HSCR who, at the age of 12 months, developed diffuse intestinal inflammation most clinically consistent with very early onset inflammatory bowel disease. We further explore previous studies that implicate the underlying neuroenteric abnormalities in HSCR as possible explanations for this patient's intestinal immune and inflammatory dysregulation.