Fecaloma

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List of terms related to Fecaloma

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Synonyms and keywords: a tumor made of feces; fecalith; coprolith; stones made of feces

Overview

A fecaloma is a hardening of feces into stones of varying size inside the colon.

Pathophysiology

A fecaloma occurs in the setting of chronic obstruction of fecal transit.

Causes

• Chagas disease
• Hirschsprung's disease
• Megacolon and chronic constipation
• Destruction of the autonomic nervous system inside the colon's mucosa (Auerbach's plexus)

Natural History, Complications and Prognosis

Fecal impaction may have severe and even lethal effects, such as the rupture of the colon's walls by acute angles of the fecalomas (stercoral perforation), followed by septicemia. A fecolith is also usually the cause of acute appendicitis.

Treatment

Extremely large (giant) fecalomas, which must be surgically removed (disimpaction). Normally, however, fecalomas can be manually disimpacted or by passing colonic tubes (catheters which carry a flow of disimpaction fluid (solvent).

See also

• Fecal impaction