Stercoral Perforation of the Colon

ABSTRACT

A stercoral perforation of the colon is a very rare condition, which results from stercoral ulcers due to severe, prolonged constipation, and has a very high mortality rate. Herein is presented four cases of stercoral perforation of the sigmoid colon. All the patients were female. They had long standing and severe constipation, with peritonitis, prior to admission. Plain chest or abdominal X-rays revealed the presence of abdominal free air in all cases, and so emergent operations were undertaken. Fecalomas were found in the colon or abdominal cavity, with round and spherical shaped perforated sites. Microscopically, the edges of the ulcers were compressed with the accumulation of lymphocytes. A resection of the perforated colon with a proximal colostomy was performed in one case, a primary closure of the perforated colon and a proximal colostomy in another and a Hartmann's colostomy in the remaining two cases.