Rectal prolapse occurs when a mucosal or full thickness layer of rectal
tissue slides through the anal orifice. It is relatively infrequent and
occurs commonly in elderly women. This report is to bring to focus the
possibility of a rectal prolapse being misdiagnosed as haemorrhoids in
pregnancy. A case of a 35-year-old woman, gravida 4, para 3+0, found to
have a large rectal prolapse but misdiagnosed as prolapsed haemorrhoids
at 34 weeks gestation is reported. Although rectal prolapse is not a
common condition during childbearing years, it is instructive for
obstetricians and midwives to be vigilant in all cases of pregnant
women presenting with rectal protrusion or bleeding