title: Chronic constipation--a lethal danger in patients with systemic scleroderma.
abstract: The gastrointestinal tract is one of the main sites of manifestation of systemic scleroderma. We describe a case of a 62-year-old patient with systemic scleroderma and progressive severe constipation that led to stercoral obstruction and perforation. We make a brief review of the literature on the gastrointestinal manifestations and the management of systemic scleroderma.
authors.affiliation: The Colorectal Unit, South Cleveland Hospital, Middlesbrough, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Exadaktylos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papagrigoriadis
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications*