대한대장항문학회

While colon perforation as a complication of diseases such as carcinoma, colitis, diverticular<br>disease, or abdominal trauma is not uncommon, spontaneous perforation of the colon is rare.<br>Although spontaneous perforation is classified as either stercoral or idiopathic on the basis<br>of its etiological background, the pathological mechanisms of the lesions have yet to be<br>determined in detail. Stercoral perforation is a very rare cause of acute abdomen, with fewer<br>than 70 cases documented in the literature; and idiopathic perforation is also infrequently<br>reported. Both disease entities have often been grouped together as idiopathic or spontaneous<br>perforation, resulting in confusion. We report herein two cases of stercoral perforation of the<br>sigmoid colon. The clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease are reviewed.<br>Surgeons should be aware of the possibility of this fatal disease, despite its rare incidence.<br>Furthermore, it is important to recognize the condition at an early stage of the disease because<br>it has significantly high mortality if surgery is delayed.<br>