[Spontaneous colon perforation in patients with chronic kidney failure]

Although spontaneous colonic perforation is a rare event, if has recently been observed with increasing frequency in patients with renal failure. Several of the drugs given to such patients may induce dehydration of faeces; the combination of very hard faecal masses and an abnormal fragility of the uraemic intestinal mucosa will then lead to the formation of a decubital ulcer. Prophylaxis or at least early diagnosis are imperative because after completed perforation the prognosis is very poor. The operative method of choice is the incontinuous resection of the entire segment of the colon affected by faecal impaction.