[Ogilvie's syndrome]

"Ogilvie's syndrome" or the idiopathic dilatation of the colon is an infrequent pathology whose underlying physiopathology is not yet well known. On the basis of their experience and having reviewed the literature, the authors affirm that this syndrome is caused by the inhibition of gastrointestinal hormones which, under the control of the neurohypophysis, contribute to colon motility. This supposition is backed up by the fact that medical treatment with somatostatin or octreotide leads to the resolution of the disorder.