Stercoraceous perforation of the sigmoid colon has rarely been reported in the literature. This lesion is assumed to be produced by the pressure from a hard scybalum resulting in a perforated ulcer with necrotic edges. Two cases of stercoraceous perforation of the sigmoid colon are presented in this paper. It is difficult to diagnose this lesion preoperatively, although ultrasonograms proved useful in showing the colon perforation. This lesion should always be suspected when a patient who has had chronic constipation presents with sudden severe abdominal pain. It is possible that this lesion is becoming more common as the mean age of the population increases and we stress the importance of immediate surgery and intensive care for improving the prognosis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.