- Fecal impaction (associated w/ crampy lower abdominal and lower back pain)
- Stercoral colitis or proctitis due to fecal impaction.This can lead to fatal peritonitis.
- Peritonitis
- Stercoral ulceration due to fecal impaction.
- Toxic megacolon (idiopathic megacolon) can occur from chronic constipation of any cause
- Stercoral perforation (colonic perforation) if not treated in a timely manner.
- Bowel obstruction (small or large), due to fecal impaction
- Rectovaginal fistula, due to fecal impaction.
- Anal fissures
- Hemorrhoids
- Rectal bleeding
- Rectal prolapse
- Hernia
- Urinary retention with hydronephrosis
- Abdominal compartment syndrome
“Fecalomas are hard dense masses of fecal material distinctly separate from the remainder of bowel contents and occur most often in the rectum and sigmoid colon. Fecalomas may gradually enlarge in size and cause various complications due to their mass effect including small bowel obstruction, urinary retention with hydronephrosis, abdominal compartment syndrome, and idiopathic megacolon with gut perforation if not treated in a timely manner” Global Pediatric Health
“Stercoral colitis is an inflammatory process involving the colonic wall related to fecal impaction.” “Fecal impaction may lead to ischemic pressure necrosis and subsequent colonic perforation”
Stercoral colitis and stercoral ulceration are more common in patients who are bedridden.
Further Reading
American Journal of Roentgenology. 2005;184: 1189-1193. 10.2214/ajr.184.4.01841189
Cheng M, Ghahremani S, Roth A, Chawla SC. Chronic Constipation and Its Complications: An Interesting Finding to an Otherwise Commonplace Problem. Global Pediatric Health. 2016;3:2333794X16648843.
J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2007 Jun;8(5):338-41. Megacolon and stercoral proctitis after frequent fecal impactions: report of an unusual case and review of the literature.
Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2005 May; 18(2): 116–119. Fecal Impaction