Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026
Murine Distal Colostomy, A Novel Model of Diversion Colitis in C57BL/6 Mice
Published on: July 12, 2018
Stercoral Colitis in Two Young Psychiatric Patients Presenting with Abdominal Pain
Caleb P Canders1, Rachel Shing1, Amir Rouhani2
1Department of Emergency Medicine, UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California.
Background:
Fewer than 150 cases of stercoral colitis have been reported in the literature. Stercoral colitis develops when feces impacts in the colon, resulting in increased luminal pressure, colon wall ulceration, and an inflammatory colitis. Patients are typically over the age of 60 years and have history of constipation. Mortality from colon perforation secondary to stercoral colitis is as high as 60%.
Case Report:
We present two male patients, ages 26 and 35 years old, with history of psychiatric illness who presented with constipation and abdominal pain, who were found to have stercoral colitis on computed tomography. One patient developed stercoral perforation of the colon requiring emergent laparotomy. WHY SHOULD EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS BE AWARE OF THIS?: Stercoral colitis is a rare but potentially fatal etiology of abdominal pain that should be considered in young patients with history of constipation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
01:30Irritable Bowel Syndrome II: Clinical Features and Diagnostic Evaluation
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is classified into subtypes based on the predominant bowel habits as determined by the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS). The subtypes are:
01:21Inflammatory Bowel Disease V: Surgical Management
Here are some common surgical interventions for IBD:
01:22Appendicitis-I: Introduction
Etiology: Appendicitis can arise from various causes, primarily rooted in the obstruction of the appendix lumen. Factors contributing to this obstruction include fecal accumulation, lymphoid hyperplasia and, in...