{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T23:22:07Z","timestamp":1780528927419,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]],"date-time":"2025-06-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749168000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Pediatr."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>Anatomical variations of the colon are commonly reported, with the majority involving the right colon. However, anomalies affecting the left colon, particularly the descending colon, are rarely described in the literature.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>We reviewed the clinical records of right-sided descending colon with necrotizing enterocolitis involvement at our hospital, detailing the patients\u2019 onset, imaging studies, complications, and treatment.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>A newborn experienced repeated vomiting. Upper and lower gastrointestinal imaging revealed gastroesophageal reflux, the right-sided descending and sigmoid colon. Two weeks later, the infant developed NEC, and after failure of conservative treatment, surgical intervention was performed. We found that the descending colon was fixed to the posterior abdominal wall, extending from the splenic flexure toward the right side and crossing the midline. The entire colon is dilated with thickened walls. Extensive mucosal ulceration is present, accompanied by transmural necrosis. Postoperative pathology reveals significant infiltration of inflammatory cells. The most severely affected regions were the descending and sigmoid colon. Consequently, a total colectomy with end ileostomy was performed, while the distal part of sigmoid colon was preserved. Postoperatively, the newborn recovered well.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>This case may help raise awareness among surgeons regarding the variability in the position of the descending colon. It is essential to consider such anatomical variations before performing related procedures in this area, to enhance surgical safety and avoid colonic injury.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2025.1557672","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]],"date-time":"2025-06-06T05:22:00Z","timestamp":1749187320000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Right-sided descending colon with necrotizing enterocolitis: a rare case report"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Ting","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shunlin","family":"Xia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mengxu","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Youcheng","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yu","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1148\/radiology.219.1.r01ap3991","article-title":"Frequency of right lower quadrant position of the sigmoid colon in infants and young children","volume":"219","author":"Fiorella","year":"2001","journal-title":"Radiology"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.4103\/0971-9261.83485","article-title":"Position of a sigmoid colon in right iliac fossa in children: a retrospective study","volume":"16","author":"Saxena","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Indian Assoc Pediatr Surg"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105","DOI":"10.1186\/s12887-017-0847-3","article-title":"Risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates: a systematic review of prognostic studies","volume":"17","author":"Samuels","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMC Pediatr"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"80","DOI":"10.1186\/s13052-025-01930-y","article-title":"Analysis of risk factors and establishment of predictive models for neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis: a retrospective study","volume":"51","author":"Liu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ital J Pediatr"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.2217\/fmb.15.136","article-title":"Gut microbiota and the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates","volume":"11","author":"Cassir","year":"2016","journal-title":"Future Microbiol"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1107","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/civ468","article-title":"Clostridium butyricum strains and dysbiosis linked to necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates","volume":"61","author":"Cassir","year":"2015","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S257","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jiaa604","article-title":"Necrotizing enterocolitis and the microbiome: current status and future directions","volume":"223","author":"Th\u00e4nert","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"B8","first-page":"166","article-title":"Displaced sigmoid and descending colons: a case report","volume":"2","author":"Nayak","year":"2013","journal-title":"OA Case Reports"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"241","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mjafi.2019.10.006","article-title":"Congenital positional anomaly of descending colon and sigmoid colon: its embryological basis and clinical implications","volume":"77","author":"Gnansekaran","year":"2021","journal-title":"Med J Armed Forces India"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.5115\/acb.2013.46.4.299","article-title":"Right sided descending and sigmoid colon: its embryological basis and clinical implications","volume":"46","author":"Shrivastava","year":"2013","journal-title":"Anat Cell Biol"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apme.2014.07.012","article-title":"Abnormal position of descending colon with right-sided sigmoid colon and its clinical significance","volume":"11","author":"Cherian","year":"2014","journal-title":"Apollo Medicine"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6136","DOI":"10.12998\/wjcc.v10.i18.6136","article-title":"Carcinoma located in a right-sided sigmoid colon: a case report","volume":"10","author":"Lyu","year":"2022","journal-title":"World J Clin Cases"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.3941\/jrcr.v9i10.2475","article-title":"Wandering spleen, gastric and pancreatic volvulus and right-sided descending and sigmoid colon","volume":"9","author":"Flores-R\u00edos","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Radiol Case Rep"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.5152\/jemcr.2016.1538","article-title":"Sigmoid diverticulitis mimicking acute appendicitis in right-sided descending and sigmoid colon: a case report","volume":"8","author":"G\u00fcl","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Emergency Med Case Reports"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Pediatrics"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fped.2025.1557672\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]],"date-time":"2025-06-06T05:22:01Z","timestamp":1749187321000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fped.2025.1557672\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]]},"references-count":14,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fped.2025.1557672"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fped.2025.1557672","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2360"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2360","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,6]]},"article-number":"1557672"}}