Stercoral re-perforation after colostomy takedown: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Stercoral perforation (SP) is a rare surgical condition that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Most of these patients undergo emergent surgery, including colostomy, and some undergo colostomy takedown after recovery. Stercoral re-perforation after colostomy takedown followed by colostomy for SP has not yet been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 79-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain for one day. Abdominal-pelvis computed tomography revealed pneumoperitoneum with diffuse mesenteric fat haziness of the left abdomen. During laparoscopic exploration, a 3-cm-sized perforated site was found at the sigmoid-descending colon, with fecal material and reactive fluid outside the colon. Loop colostomy formation was performed, and a takedown was completed after 3 months. Two years 4 months after the initial procedure, the patient was re-admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain. She underwent a second laparoscopic colostomy formation and was discharged, although the postoperative clinical course was poorer than that after the first surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This case of stercoral re-perforation after colostomy takedown followed by colostomy formation for SP has important clinical implications and can be a reference for physicians. When the first colostomy formation was performed for SP, the decision on performance of a colostomy takedown should be made after carefully considering several factors.

IMAGING DIAGNOSIS - RADIOGRAPHY, ULTRASONOGRAPHY, AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY OF A GIANT FECALOMA CAUSING STERCORAL PERFORATION OF THE COLON IN A DOG WITH A PROSTATIC ABSCESS.

A mixed-breed dog presented with tenesmus, hematochezia, and abdominal distension of 2 weeks duration. Radiography showed a large round mass with a "soap-bubble" appearance and shell-like mineralization in the caudal abdomen. Computed tomography revealed a lamellate mineralized mass 8 cm in diameter and containing air in the descending colon and prostatic abscess. Heterogeneously contrast-enhanced, irregularly thickened colonic wall with intramural and peritoneal free gas indicated stercoral colonic perforation. Surgical intervention revealed a tumor-like giant fecaloma in the descending colon adjoining the prostate with extensive wall rupture and fecal peritonitis. Hypothetically, prostatic inflammation may affect colonic motility with resultant fecaloma formation.

Clinical Analysis of Stercoral Perforation without Mortality.

AIMS: This study was designed to review the clinical features of stercoral colonic perforation and to evaluate the appropriate intraoperative procedures and postoperative management to achieve the best surgical outcomes. METHODS: Between January 2009 and December 2015, 12 patients with stercoral perforation confirmed surgically and pathologically were included in this study, and their medical records were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The enrolled patients included 2 men and 10 women; their mean age was 73.8 years. Abdomino-pelvic CT was an important diagnostic tool, which revealed fecalomas, extraluminal air and pericolic fat stranding in all patients. Hartmann's operation was performed in all patients, with a mean operation time of 239.3 min. Perforation site was in the left colon, mainly in the sigmoid colon. Intraoperative hypotension developed in 8 cases (66.7%). Postoperatively, all patients needed intensive care for 6.5 days and 6 patients needed the administration of inotropic agents for 3.0 days postoperatively. Disseminated intravascular coagulation developed in 10 cases (83.3%). There was no surgical mortality. CONCLUSION: Colorectal surgeons should be aware of the possibility of stercoral perforation, despite its rare incidence. Deep understanding of this potentially fatal disease by surgeons could reduce surgical mortality and improve postoperative outcomes.

Colorectal emergencies and related complications: a comprehensive imaging review--noninfectious and noninflammatory emergencies of colon.

OBJECTIVE: In this article, we illustrate imaging findings of colorectal emergencies encountered in the acute setting that are primarily noninfectious and noninflammatory in origin. Our review should enable the reader to identify and understand common colorectal emergencies and related complications in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of colorectal emergencies is mostly straightforward, but it can be challenging because of the overlap of presenting symptoms and imaging findings. Therefore, it is essential to clarify the cause, narrow the differential diagnosis, and identify associated complications.

Stercoral perforation of the sigmoid colon in pregnancy: A case report.

A 39-year-old woman presented at 29 weeks and 4 days of gestation with abdominal pain and chronic constipation. The abdominopelvic magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging were not conclusive. Computed tomography showed evidence of bowel perforation. Surgical exploration demonstrated significant stool burden, purulent peritonitis, and frank perforation of the sigmoid colon. Hartmann's procedure was successfully performed, with no complications. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course. She was induced at 37 weeks due to preeclampsia and had a vaginal delivery with no complications.

A systematic review of stercoral perforation.

AIM: Stercoral perforation is a rarely suspected life-threatening condition. Early diagnosis is difficult but essential. A comprehensive systematic review was performed to evaluate its presentation, diagnosis and treatment. METHOD: A systematic review was carried out of Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane databases for all articles published between 1998 and 2011. Only studies describing stercoral perforation were included. RESULTS: Twenty-four relevant articles were found including 137 patients (median age = 62 years) with stercoral perforation, of whom 81% had chronic constipation. Stercoral perforation was diagnosed by CT scan in 90% of 31 patients, with the commonest findings being a combination of faecal impaction (84%) and subphrenic (90%) or extraluminal air (61%). The commonest site of perforation was the sigmoid colon (50%) followed by the rectosigmoid junction (24%). The overall mortality was 34%. CONCLUSION: Stercoral perforation should be suspected in elderly and chronically constipated patients with unexplained abdominal pain and investigated appropriately with a CT scan to allow timely and optimal treatment.

Stercoral Perforation in the Setting of Chronic Antipsychotic Use: A Case Report.

Stercoral perforation is a rare form of colonic perforation with limited reports in the literature, accounting for less than 140 documented cases. This complication occurs due to increased intraluminal pressure created by fecal impaction, ultimately causing colonic ulceration and necrosis. It is most often seen in elderly or debilitated patients with chronic constipation. The long-term use of drugs or medications with side effects of chronic constipation such as opioids, antispasmodics, tricyclic antidepressants, and calcium channel blockers have been implicated in these cases. Here we present a case of stercoral perforation in a patient with short-term opioid use following an orthopedic procedure, but more likely complicated by long-term use of antipsychotics and antidepressants.

Fecal Impaction and Nonperforated Stercoral Colitis: Red Flags for Poor Outcomes.

Fecal impaction and stercoral colitis are common, yet little research has been performed on the associated mortality risk. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 970 hospital encounters representing 885 unique patients in which fecal impaction or stercoral colitis was identified in CT reports. Among the 535 patients with fecal impaction, 13.3% died or were discharged to hospice, compared to 13.1% among the 428 patients with nonperforated stercoral colitis (p = 0.93). Of the seven patients with perforation, five died or were discharged to hospice. The risk of death or discharge to hospice for patients with fecal impaction or nonperforated stercoral colitis aged 18-49 was 2.9% and rose approximately 4% each decade thereafter to 21.9% for patients 90 and older (p< 0.001). Patients with a body mass index of 25-30 had an 8.1% risk of death or discharge to hospice, compared to 23.4% for those with a BMI < 18.5 (p< 0.001). Patients with at least one ICD-10 code for dementia, paralysis/neuromuscular disease, or malnutrition/failure to thrive had a risk of death or discharge to hospice of 21.6%, compared to 1.9% among patients with none of these risk factors (p< 0.001). ICD-10 codes for sepsis were associated with 90.0% of the deaths and 44.3% of the discharges to hospice. Patients diagnosed in less than three hours had a risk of death or discharge to hospice of 8.0%, compared to a risk of 20.1% for those diagnosed in ≥ 12 hours (p< 0.001).

Severe constipation causing ischaemic stercoral perforation of sigmoid colon.

Stercoral perforation is a rare but life-threatening condition that is increasingly being recognised as a sequelae of severe constipation. We present the case of a 45-year-old female who presented with stercoral perforation secondary to severe constipation related to adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer on a background of long-term antipsychotic medications. Chemotherapy-induced neutropaenia posed an additional treatment consideration in the management of sepsis associated with stercoral perforation. This case demonstrated that the morbidity and mortality from constipation especially in at risk patients cannot be underestimated.

Fecal impaction: a cause for concern?

Fecal impaction (FI) is a common cause of lower gastrointestinal tract obstruction lagging behind stricture for diverticulitis and colon cancer. It is the result of chronic or severe constipation and most commonly found in the elderly population. Early recognition and diagnosis is accomplished by way of an adequate history and physical examination in conjunction with an acute abdominal series. Prompt identification and treatment minimizes the risks of complications such as bowel obstruction leading to aspiration, stercoral ulcers, perforation, and peritonitis. Treatment options include gentle proximal softening in the absence of complete bowel obstruction, distal washout, and manual extraction. Surgical resection of the involved colon or rectum is reserved for cases of FI complicated by ulceration and perforation leading to peritonitis. Recurrence is common, and can be managed by increasing dietary fiber content to 30 gm/day, increased water intake, and discontinuation of medications that can contribute to colonic hypomotility.

Rare but relevant: a systematic review of stercoral perforation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Knowledge of the aetiologies of large bowel perforation are fundamental to its management. Stercoral perforation is a rare cause associated with high mortality. Owing to the paucity of coverage of this condition in the literature, this review raises awareness of stercoral perforation among clinicians. METHOD: A literature search of PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Ovid and Cochrane was performed. Key search terms included 'stercoral, perforation', 'perforated', 'perforat*' and 'stercoral perforation'. Only literature published between December 2011 and July 2020 was included to avoid duplication. RESULTS: Twenty-nine papers were obtained giving an overall cohort of 58 patients. The median age was 58 years (range 2-83 years) and 72.4% (n=42) were female. Constipation was reported in 69% (n=40) and 20.7% (n=12) reported chronic opioid use. A computed tomography scan was performed in 94.8% (n=55) of cases and typically a Hartmann's procedure (n=40, 72.2%) was performed. The mortality rate was 17.2% (n=10). CONCLUSIONS: The median age of patients with stercoral perforation has decreased from that found in previous studies and the mortality rate has improved. Chronic opioid users have also emerged as an important cohort. Early recognition, diligent decision making and focused perioperative care form the backbone of the definitive management of stercoral perforation.

Stercoral Colitis in a Patient With Pediatric-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Case Analysis and Review of the Literature.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoantibody-related disease that affects multiple organs. Stercoral colitis (SC) is a rare type of inflammatory colitis with a high mortality rate. Here, we report the first case of pediatric-onset lupus in a case complicated by stercoral colitis. We also conducted a literature review of patients with SC under 30 years old to provide useful clues for rapid diagnosis at a young age. A 28-year-old female with a history of lupus and neuropsychiatric SLE was admitted with severe abdominal pain. She was found to have stercoral colitis during surgery. Two years later, the patient underwent Hartman's operation due to ischemia of the colon. In addition, 10 patients younger than 30 years old with a diagnosis of SC were analyzed based on clinical presentation, physical examination, laboratory exam, imaging and treatment. All cases had a favorable outcome without mortality. Stercoral colitis is a rare but lethal complication, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach. Differential diagnosis should include stercoral colitis for patients with SLE developing unexplained sharp abdominal pain.

Pelvic Rectal Stercoral Perforation Resulting in Diffuse Pneumatosis.

An 83-year-old woman with oral corticosteroid use for chronic autoimmune conditions presented with abdominal pain and constipation for the previous seven days. CT of the abdomen and pelvis revealed a large fecaloma with diffuse pneumatosis involving the retroperitoneum, subcutaneous tissue, and mediastinum. An emergent exploratory laparotomy revealed perforation of the rectum below the peritoneal reflection into the retroperitoneum. An end-colostomy with Hartmann's operation was then performed intra-operatively. Despite operative treatment complicated by prolonged intubation, the patient succumbed to multiorgan failure and expired.

Rapid death following undiagnosed stercoral perforation in a chronic opioid user.

A case of rapid demise following an undiagnosed stercoral perforation is reported. A 57-year-old woman on chronic opioid replacement therapy presented with constipation and abdominal pain to the hospital. Following an unremarkable abdominal radiograph and admission for laxation and pain therapy, she was found dead only 18 h later. To exclude medical malpractice, a postmortem investigation was ordered. Postmortem computed tomography and autopsy revealed fatal fecal peritonitis based on a stercoral perforation of the rectosigmoid, which had been undiagnosed. This report highlights the need for early cross-sectional imaging and contributes to the data collection concerning this ever-growing, vulnerable group of patients undergoing opioid replacement.

Stercoral Perforation of Sigmoid Colon in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Rare Cause of Peritonitis.

Stercoral perforation (SP) is a rare cause of peritonitis. It is caused by pressure necrosis of the colonic wall by fecaloma. SP is a lethal condition that is associated with high morbidity and mortality, therefore early diagnosis and treatment are of paramount importance. Herein, we describe a case of SP in a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient. A 44-year-old female, known case of SLE, presented with severe abdominal pain, fever, and hypotension. CT scan showed features of perforated sigmoid. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy which revealed perforation of sigmoid, fecalomas in the peritoneal cavity, and colon loaded with fecal matter. The patient underwent Hartmann's operation with successful control of her intra-abdominal sepsis. Her postoperative course was complicated by SLE flare and wound dehiscence which was probably due to long term steroid use. Even though SP is rare, it carries a worse prognosis especially if the patients are immunocompromised. The key to successfully manage such cases is early diagnosis, aggressive resuscitation, antibiotics, and prompt surgical intervention. A multidisciplinary approach is often helpful in such cases.

Opioid drugs and stercoral perforation of the colon: Case report and review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: Stercoral perforation of the colon is a rare pathology, which is believed to be caused by an increased intraluminal pressure created by a fecaloma. Opioid induced constipation is a rare and often unsuspected cause of colonic perforation. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report the case of a 58-year-old woman, who presented to the emergency department (ED) with severe hypotension, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. She was found to have a diffusely tender and distended abdomen. Her history was positive for long-term suboxone use and chronic constipation. Abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a bowel perforation, ascites and fecal impaction. Emergency laparotomy revealed extensive stool in the peritoneal cavity as well as hemoperitoneum. There was a fecal bolus with perforation located in the sigmoid colon. On postoperative day (POD) six, a second abdominopelvic CT scan was performed and results revealed the necessity of a second exploratory laparotomy. She had multiple loculated abscesses within the small bowel and other areas, which were opened and washed out. DISCUSSION: Due to the inflating use of drugs in the opioid class, the recognition of this pathology has become increasingly important. The action of the drug on the mu-opioid receptors, any patients taking opioid medications are at risk for constipation progressing to stercoral perforation and should be monitored closely. CONCLUSION: Patients presenting with chronic constipation, fecal impaction on imaging and clinical signs of peritonitis or sepsis, should consider stercoral perforation in their differential diagnosis since early detection is key to reduce mortality rates in these cases.

Stercoral perforation of the rectosigmoid colon due to chronic constipation: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic constipation is very common in elderly patients. As a result of this situation fecaloma is also frequently seen at these ages. However, the stercoral perforation caused by fecaloma is a rare situation to occur. The rectosigmoid colon is the most affected colonic segment. It is seen in older patients with concomitant diseases and a low quality of life. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Here in this case, we have to report an 83 - year-old male patient who came to the emergency room with complaints of abdominal pain and constipation for two days. He had Type II Diabetes Mellitus, had a cardiac stent and also Alzheimer's disease. We diagnosed a rectosigmoid perforation due to a large fecaloma. This case presentation was prepared in accordance with the scare checklist guidelines (Agha et al., 2016 [1]). DISCUSSION: Constipation and faecal impaction are common entities, particularly in elderly and bedridden patients. Fecalomas are collections of dehydrated, hardened stool. They rarely can cause colonic ischemia and/or stercoral perforation. Stercoral perforation is the perforation or rupture of the intestine walls by a stercoraceous mass. Stercoral perforation is a very dangerous, life-threatening situation, as well as a surgical emergency, because the spillage of contaminated intestinal contents into the abdominal cavity leads to peritonitis, a rapid bacteremia with many complications. CONCLUSION: Fecalomas can cause stercoral perforations. This situation can be confused with other causes of acuteabdomen in these patients. Early surgery can be life saving.

Stercoral Perforation of the Colon during Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Stercoral perforation of the colon, though rare, is associated with high mortality. Review of the literature identified only three prior cases reported during pregnancy. We report a case on a multiparous female presenting at 31 weeks of gestation with acute abdominal pain. Computed tomography suggested a sigmoid colon perforation. An urgent exploratory laparotomy was performed where feculent peritonitis and a stercoral perforation of the sigmoid colon was confirmed. A cesarean delivery and sigmoid colectomy with descending end colostomy was performed. While the newborn had an uncomplicated course, the mother developed an intra-abdominal abscess requiring operative management.

Stercoral Perforation of the Colon: A Potentially Fatal Complication of Opioid-Induced Constipation.

Stercoral perforation of the colon is a rare complication of constipation, and there have only been a few reported cases of stercoral perforation of the colon secondary to opioid-induced constipation. This article describes such a case in a cancer survivor with chronic cancer-related pain and reviews the medical/surgical literature on stercoral perforation of the colon.