Untreated Congenital Hypothyroidism Mimicking Hirschsprung Disease: A Puzzling Case in a One-Year-Old Child

Abstract

Congenital hypothyroidism is a clinical emergency due to its potential risk of mental retardation. Constipation might be present in hypothyroid children. However, Hirschsprung disease is rarely associated with congenital hypothyroidism. Herein, a case of congenital hypothyroidism in a one-year-old child mimicking Hirschsprung disease is described. Adequate treatment with levothyroxine sodium tablets controlled intestinal dysmotility that mimicked congenital intestinal aganglionosis due to the critical influence of thyroid hormones on bowel motility.