Stercoraceous perforation of the sigmoid colon; A report of four cases

Introduction: Stercoraceous perforation of the colon has rarely been reported, but the mortality of this entity remains high. Materials and Method: We had four patients with stercoraceous sigmoid perforation, and each case's history, findings, procedure and prognosis were reviewed. The average age was 73 years old. In all of cases, they had constipation and noticed abdominal pain after the rest room a few days prior to admission. After that, they went to our hospital because of increasing abdominal pain. Three of four cases were underwent emergent laparotomy and Hartmann procedure. Their postoperative courses were fine. All of them were able to discharge within a month. The other case was diagnosed 2days after admission. He had need polysurgery and long time hospitalization because of catastrophic panperitonitis. All of four cases are alive. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and emergent laparotomy are essential if mortality is to be reduced. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge of this entity.