Chronic colonic pseudo-obstruction with micro-perforation in a psychiatric patient

Colonic pseudo-obstruction, both in its acute and chronic forms, usually occurs in association with organic disease. Occasionally, this entity has been described in patients with underlying psychiatric illness. We describe a 53- year-old man with schizophrenia who presented with chronic pseudo-obstruction of the colon with megacolon, complicated by perforation. This report is intended to increase the clinical awareness of the association between psychiatric illness and colonic pseudo-obstruction, so that this condition could be recognized early and unwanted complications avoided