In a bizarre case, a 24-year-old man’s bowel became so full with faeces that it burst, causing his organs to shut down.
The unnamed man, most probably from London, went to the doctors after enduring stomach pain and diarrhoea for a week where doctors were shocked to discover his ‘megarectum’ dilated to seven inched (18cm) and the last part of his colon filled with faeces.
The team, who had attended to the man from Newham University Hospital, published the unusual tale in BMJ Case Reports.
According to hospital records, the autistic patient had been admitted to the hospital for constipation numerous times since 2014.
A physical examination showed he had a distended abdomen with quiet bowel sounds.
Medics then arranged a CT scan for the patient. It showed his rectum had dilated and sigmoid colon was filled with faeces.
Dr Alexandros Apostolopoulos and colleagues gave the man laxatives and tried to give him an enema but the man refused.
The man complained of severe stomach ache after two days and doctors had another look at his condition and found he had peritonitis - a potentially life-threatening infection - and reduced consciousness level.
Further tests then revealed his kidneys were starting to fail and his blood was quickly becoming acidic.
Dr Apostolopoulos and his team organised a second CT scan that found a significant tear in his sigmoid colon and he was rushed to intensive care before undergoing a Hartmann procedure, surgery to fix the tear.
