Two Cases of Stercoral Perforation of Colon

ABSTRACT

While colon perforation as a complication of diseases such as carcinoma, colitis, diverticular disease, or abdominal trauma is not uncommon, spontaneous perforation of the colon is rare. Although spontaneous perforation is classified as either stercoral or idiopathic on the basis of its etiological background, the pathological mechanisms of the lesions have yet to be determined in detail. Stercoral perforation is a very rare cause of acute abdomen, with fewer than 70 cases documented in the literature; and idiopathic perforation is also infrequently reported. Both disease entities have often been grouped together as idiopathic or spontaneous perforation, resulting in confusion. We report herein two cases of stercoral perforation of the sigmoid colon. The clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease are reviewed. Surgeons should be aware of the possibility of this fatal disease, despite its rare incidence. Furthermore, it is important to recognize the condition at an early stage of the disease because it has significantly high mortality if surgery is delayed.