Most prolapses reduce spontaneously. Failure to reduce may lead to venous stasis, edema, and possibly ulceration. Long-standing or frequent recurrent prolapse may lead to proctitis. No racial predilection exists. This is in contrast to the adult population, in which it is 5 times more common in women.
Highest incidence is in the first year of life.
Most frequently, the patient presents with normal physical exam. Parents often give history of a dark red mass protruding from the child's anus, though the child appears to be pain free. If a mass is found at the time of exam, differentiate it from a prolapsing rectal polyp, which looks plum-colored and does not involve the entire anal circumference. If an intussusception prolapses, a finger can be passed into a space between the anal wall and the mucosa of the protruding mass. With prolapse, inserting a finger into this space is not possible.