title: Not your usual constipation: stercoral perforation.
abstract: Stercoral perforation is a rare cause of bowel perforation. It is caused by faecal impaction, which generates pressure against the colon wall, leading to ischaemic necrosis and subsequent perforation. Since diagnosis is often delayed, stercoral perforation is usually mistreated as constipation or faecal impaction, leading to high mortality. This report presents a case of stercoral perforation in a woman aged 34 years who was promptly diagnosed and successfully treated.
authors.affiliation: Third year medical student, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marget
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Hussam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ammar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D012809:Colon, Sigmoid / Q000098:blood supply*; D003248:Constipation / Q000150:complications*; D005244:Fecal Impaction / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology*; D009336:Necrosis / Q000209:etiology; D012810:Sigmoid Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery