Colonoscopic laxative instillation for the fecal-loaded colon: a case series

Context: Postoperative, critically ill, and elderly patients often have fecal loading or impaction. In a few such patients, disimpaction of fecalomas and colon cleansing are difficult. Bowel obstruction, megacolon, lower gastrointestinal bleeding, and gut perforation are complications that may ensue. Oral laxatives or enemas may only be partially effective. Surgical intervention may be needed for salvage or to treat complications. Series and Design: Fourteen hospitalized cases with defecation disorder due to fecal loading of the colon were enrolled for retrospective analysis. Colonoscopic instillation of mannitol and/or lactulose was undertaken as an intervention when the use of oral laxatives was either ineffective or unfeasible, and enema had yielded poor results. Results: Ten patients had satisfactory outcomes for fecal clearance, whereas four patients with poor or incomplete responses underwent repeat interventions or surgery. No significant complications were encountered due to this therapy. Conclusion: Colonoscopic instillation of mannitol or lactulose in fecal-loaded critically ill patients results in a safe and satisfactory fecal clearance. (AU)

Ileal fecaloma in a 2-month healthy boy

A fecaloma is a fecal matter that builds up to form a hard mass of feces that is extremely rigid than a mass connected with fecal impaction. Fecalomas are commonly in the rectosigmoid region. Our report aimed to give a brief review of this case and discuss the treatment options for it. A 2-month-old male presented with bowel obstruction and a palpable mass on the right side of the abdomen. A simple abdominal radiograph and contrasted abdominal computed tomography scan were performed immediately, resulting in small intestine mechanical obstruction. A 4.6 � 6.6 � 4 cm fecaloma was found in the distal ileum. We consequently diagnosed a case of ileal fecaloma producing small bowel obstruction. The patient was surgically managed after conservative treatment failed.

Analysis on syndrome differentiation and treatment of "heat fecaloma with watery discharge" in critically ill elderly patients / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

Objective In critically ill elderly patients with "heat fecaloma with watery discharge", deficiency syndrome occupies its eighty to ninety percent, while "heat accumulation" occupies its ten to twenty percent; in fact, it is "dry feces accumulation stagnation and manure water side stream". Factors of Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency, etc. are the main causes of dry stool accumulating in the intestine and manure water flows to side stream. The therapeutic principles of this disease should be removing stasis by purgation, in the mean time supplementing Qi and moistening intestine, or moisturizing dryness by nourishing blood, or supplementing Yin and increasing fluids, or warming yang for relaxing bowels in order to solve the root causes of the disease. The mechanism of heat fecaloma with watery discharge in critically ill elderly patients is different from that of general patients; clinically it is necessary to interrogate the disease history in detail, synthesize the four diagnostic methods, and differentiate manifestations from root cause, deficiency from sthenia, mildness from severity and amelioration from urgency. Casually using attack should be avoided, and aiming to treat its root cause is the proper therapeutic method.

Torção de cólon em um felino doméstico: relato de caso / Colon torsion in a domestic cat: case report

A torção de cólon em felinos é uma patologia rara. Os principais sinais apresentados são de abdome agudo e podem levar o animal rapidamente a óbito. O presente trabalho tem o objetivo de relatar um caso de torção de cólon em um felino. Este é o primeiro relato dessa enfermidade no Brasil. O diagnóstico foi realizado por meio do histórico e de exames de imagem. O animal foi encaminhado para a cirurgia, mas, devido à gravidade e extensão das lesões intestinais, foi realizada a eutanásia.(AU)

Colon torsion in felines is a rare pathology. The main signs presented are of acute abdomen and the condition can quickly lead to death. This paper aims to report a case of twisted colon in a feline. This is the first report of colon torsion in Brazil. The presumptive diagnosis was made through history and imaging. The patient was submitted to surgery, where, due to severity and extent of lesions, euthanasia was performed.(AU)

Acute Urinary Retention in a 47-month-old Girl Caused by the Giant Fecaloma / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

We present a case of a 47-month-old female suffering from acute urinary bladder neck obstruction and bilateral hydronephrosis secondary to a fecaloma. Fecaloma is defined as an accumulation of inspissated feces in the colon or rectum giving the appearance of an abdominal mass. A fecaloma can be developed by diverse causes and the causes of the fecaloma in this case were septum reformation after the Duhamel procedure and long-term constipation. Chronic constipation is very common at outpatient clinic. However, acute urinary retention and voiding difficulty caused by fecaloma in the giant Duhamel pouch has never been reported in Korea. We would like to present our case with acute urinary retention due to a fecaloma and suggest that fecaloma might be considered as one of the causes for acute urinary retention, especially in cases with previous Duhamel operation for repair of Hischsprung disease.

Value of CT in the Discrimination of Fatal from Non-Fatal Stercoral Colitis

OBJECTIVE: Clinical presentation and physical signs may be unreliable in the diagnosis of stercoral colitis (SC). This study evaluates the value of computed tomography (CT) in distinguishing fatal from non-fatal SC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients diagnosed as SC were obtained from inter-specialist conferences. Additional 13 patients with suspected SC were identified via the Radiology Information System (RIS). These patients were divided into two groups; fatal and non-fatal SCs. Their CT images are reviewed by two board-certified radiologists blinded to the clinical data and radiographic reports. RESULTS: SC occurred in older patients and displayed no gender predisposition. There was significant correlation between fatal SC and CT findings of dense mucosa (p = 0.017), perfusion defects (p = 0.026), ascites (p = 0.023), or abnormal gas (p = 0.033). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of dense mucosa were 71%, 86%, and 81%, respectively. These figures were 75%, 79%, and 77% for perfusion defects; 75%, 80%, and 78% for ascites; and 50%, 93%, and 78% for abnormal gas, respectively. Each CT sign of mucosal sloughing and pericolonic abscess displayed high specificity of 100% and 93% for diagnosing fatal SC, respectively. However, this did not reach statistical significance in diagnosing fatal SC. CONCLUSION: CT appears to be valuable in discriminating fatal from non-fatal SC.

Cecal Fecaloma Due to Intestinal Tuberculosis: Endoscopic Treatment

Colorectal fecaloma is a mass of accumulated feces that is much harder in consistency than a fecal impactation. The rectosigmoid area is the common site for fecalomas and the cecum is the most unusual site. Diagnosis is usually made by distinctive radiographic findings of a mobile intraluminal mass with a smooth outline and no mucosal attachment. Most of the fecalomas are successfully treated by conservative methods such as laxatives, enemas and rectal evacuation. When conservative treatments have failed, endoscopic procedures or a surgical intervention may be needed. We report here that a cecal fecaloma caused by intestinal tuberculosis scar was successfully removed by endoscopic procedures.

Fecaloma, oblito y oclusión intestinal: informe de un caso, comentarios y una propuesta / Fecaloma, foreign body and intestinal occlusion: a care report, comments and a proposal

Se presenta el caso de un paciente de 47 años con enorme giba lumbar derecha que apareció a los 18 años de edad. Fue operado hace 14 años de una formación quística con aumento de volumen de las extremidades y aparición, poco después, de un tumor de 2,5 cm. Diez días antes de su ingreso presentó infección urinaria, luego constipación, dificultad para expulsar gases, dolor y distensión abdominal, y se visualizaba la referida tumoración. En la radiografía se observaron múltiples fecalomas y oblito metálico. Fue operado y se constató la presencia de fecalomas, distensión de asas y el oblito cuya punta era la que se visualizaba y palpaba(AU)

This is a case presentation of a patient aged 47 with a huge right humpback appearing at 18 years old. He was operated on 14 years ago from a cystic formation increasing the volume of limbs and the appearance afterwards of a 2,5 cm tumor. Ten days before its admission showed a urinary infection, constipation, difficulty to release gases, pain and abdominal distention, visualizing such tumor. At radiography on noted many fecaloma and metallic foreign body. He was operated on verifying the presence of fecalomas, loop distention and foreign body whose tip was visualized and palpated(AU)