[Frequency, clinical evolution and prognosis of toxic megacolon]

Toxic megacolon (MT) is a potentially lethal complication of inflammatory, ischemic and infectious colitis. Usually it is related to ulcerative nonspecific colitis or Crohn disease. Recently it has been observed an increased in pseudomembranous colitis as cause of TM. The aim of this study is to describe the frequency, clinical evolution and prognosis of patients with TM.

Retrospective study, from January 2009 to January 2014 1500 patients were hospitalized in the Department of Coloproctology. We included 13 of 1500 patients with diagnosis of TM according to Jalan criteria and surgically corroborated. To determine the averages descriptive statistics was used.

We studied 13 patients with TM (79.9% male and 20.1% female), the average age was 47.69±18.3 years. The most frequently associated diseases were: nonspecific ulcerative colitis (30.8%), pseudomembranous colitis (30.8%), neutropenic colitis (23.1%), Crohn Disease (7.7%) and ischemic colitis (7.7%). Subtotal colectomy plus terminal ileostomy was done in 84.6%, extended right hemicolectomy with ileostomy plus mucous fistula in 7.7% and extended right hemicolectomy with ileostomy plus Hartmann pouch in 7.7%. The mortality was 61.5%. The prevalence in the 5 years was 13 of 1500 (0.86%) patients.

The prevalence of TM is low with a high mortality. A prompt diagnosis and treatment can improve the poor prognosis in these patients.