Mumbai Medical Miracle: 11-Year-Old Overcomes Rare Genetic Disorder And Severe Gastrointestinal Complications

Aaryan Gangar, 11, has successfully overcome a life-threatening ailment of severe rectal bleeding caused by Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) and Crohn’s disease, which is a rare and serious inflammatory bowel condition.

According to the doctors at Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, Gangar suffered intermittent abdominal pain, vomiting, fever and severe bleeding in his stool. His condition had rapidly deteriorated over two months, leading to significant weight loss, cramping and chronic diarrhea. The hospital’s multidisciplinary team, led by Dr Aditya Kulkarni, consultant in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition, undertook a complex diagnostic and treatment approach to save the young patient.

Genetic testing confirmed that the boy had HPS and further examination, including a colonoscopy and biopsy, revealed that he also suffers Crohn’s disease. “The HPS is a very rare genetic disorder impacting multiple body systems, including immunity, skin, lungs and intestines,” explained Dr Kulkarni. Diagnosing Crohn’s disease on top of the HPS was a considerable challenge as only around 10% of HPS patients experience intestinal complications of this nature, he added. The dual diagnosis made the case extremely complicated as the HPS patients commonly have blood clotting abnormalities, which increase the risk of prolonged bleeding.

The hospital team initiated an aggressive treatment plan with high-dose steroid injections to control bleeding and manage inflammation, followed by an eight-week course of oral steroids to calm the overactive immune response affecting his intestines. Thanks to this timely and precise intervention, Gangar’s condition stabilised within 10 days, while his rectal bleeding also subsided.

Profusely, thanking the medical team, his parents said, “Dr Aditya and the entire team at Narayana Health SRCC have been our pillars of strength. Their expertise, care and compassion gave us hope when we were lost in uncertainty.”