Stercoral perforation of the colon: a mortal consequence of chronic constipation in the elderly (a case report)

The stercoral perforation is a mortal condition. It affects elderly patients who have a long history of chronic and severe constipation as well as constitutes a surgical emergency whose prognosis, often grim, depends on the early diagnosis and treatment. We report the case of a stercoral colon perfo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Pan African medical journal 2021-01, Vol.38, p.48
Main Authors: Mounir, Bouali, Oussama, Lafkih, Zineb, Abbad El Andaloussi, Abdelilah, El Bakouri, Khalid, El Hattabi, Fatima-Zahra, Bensardi, Abdelaaziz, Fadil
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Aged, 80 and over
Alzheimer's disease
Case Report
Case reports
Chronic Disease
Colon
Colon - injuries
Colon - surgery
Colostomy
Constipation
Constipation - complications
Emergency medical care
Fatal Outcome
Feces
Hospitals
Humans
Intestinal Perforation - etiology
Intestinal Perforation - surgery
Male
Mortality
Ostomy
Pain
Patients
Peritonitis
Peritonitis - etiology
Rectum
Sepsis
Shock, Septic - etiology
Ulcers
Ventilators
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Summary:The stercoral perforation is a mortal condition. It affects elderly patients who have a long history of chronic and severe constipation as well as constitutes a surgical emergency whose prognosis, often grim, depends on the early diagnosis and treatment. We report the case of a stercoral colon perforation which occurred in an 89-year-old patient. The clinical symptomatology was that of an acute peritonitis evolving for four days. The diagnosis was only made intraoperatively and the surgical gesture was a resection of the involved left colon segment and Bouilly Volkmann colostomy. The consequences were unfortunately marked by a resistant septic shock resulting in the death of the patient on the 1 postoperative day. The diagnosis of stercoral colon perforation, which is often difficult and delayed, must be known by all physicians who manage an increasingly older patient population.
ISSN:1937-8688
DOI:10.11604/pamj.2021.38.48.22948