Ogilvie Syndrome Associated to Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Ogilvie's syndrome is an acute dilatation of a part or all of the colon and rectum without mechanical obstruction. The diagnosis is based on computed tomography (CT) that excludes organic or functional colonic obstruction and ensures the detection of signs of severity. Rapid diagnosis leads to conservative measures and the resolution of obstruction. Delays in diagnosis can lead to complications imposing a surgical treatment and increased mortality rate. We report the case of a 52 years old woman with Parkinson's disease, who presented Ogilvie's syndrome. The initial assessment did not show signs of severity, so medical treatment was introduced but without improvement; for this reason, the surgical procedure was indicated as a cecostomy. There are several theories that explain the pathophysiology of Ogilvie's syndrome; the most likely is the dysfunction of innervation of the colon which is due to Parkinson's disease in our case. The diagnosis is based on computed tomography. The treatment is pharmacologic, conservative or surgical depending on the severity of the disease and its evolution.