Perforation of the colon after barium meal examination

Retention of barium in the caecum (Dixon et al., 1967; Gupta and Fraser, 1985), appendix (Maglinte et al, 1981) and colonic diverticula (Burrows, 1962) has been reported after barium meal as has colonic perforation during barium enema examination (Ott and Gelfand, 1983). One case of colonic perforation after a barium meal has been reported in association with adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon (Violon et al., 1980).