title: Stercoral colitis: a lethal disease-computed tomographic findings and clinical characteristic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the radiographic findings in stercoral colitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The computed tomographic scans and abdominal radiographs of 13 patients with surgically and pathologically confirmed stercoral colitis from 4 affiliated hospitals were reviewed by a board-certified abdominal radiologist blinded to the official imaging, surgical, and pathologic findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age was 66 years. The patients presented mainly with constipation (100%) and an acute inflammatory process (85%); 5 patients (38%) had frank septic shock. Mortality was 46%. Imaging scans showed that the colon dilated proximally to the impaction site in 6 patients (50%). Other findings included fat stranding (100%), mucosal sloughing (58%), mesenteric hyperemia (58%), and extraluminal gas (17%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Computed tomography is an important diagnostic modality for stercoral colitis. The presence of a large fecaloma with distention of the affected colon and wall thickening and pericolonic fat stranding should alert radiologists and surgeons to the presence of this potentially fatal condition.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Rabin Medical Center, Petah-Tikva; †Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv; ‡Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera; §Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Asaf Harofe Medical Center, Tzrifin; and ∥Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Tel Hashomer Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Maxim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saksonov
authors.forename: Gil N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Bachar
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morgenstern
authors.forename: Abdel-Rauf
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zeina
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vasserman
authors.forename: Orith
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Protnoy
authors.forename: Ofer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Benjaminov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003092:Colitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D003287:Contrast Media; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D005244:Fecal Impaction / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D007472:Iohexol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D003974:Diatrizoate Meglumine; D007472:Iohexol; C038192:iopromide