Total colonic expulsion with part of small bowel per vaginum due to low-flow phenomenon and NOMI: A case report

Abstract

Introduction. Intestinal ischaemia is a devastating disease process that could lead to bowel gangrene and death if either not diagnosed early or left untreated; death is usually caused by irreversible shock, intestinal necrosis, or septicaemia. It is usually seen in elderly patients with atherosclerotic disease. The course of bowel ischaemia may affect variable lengths of the intestine and it is not unusual for the condition to be followed by uneventful recovery. Case presentation. We are reporting an unusually rare case where an elderly patient passed an extraordinarily long segment of bowel, including rectum, the whole of the large bowel, and part of the small bowel, through anus following an episode of nonobstructive mesenteric ischaemia (NOMI) complicating myocardial infarction. To our knowledge, there are only eight cases reported in the literature where the condition was diagnosed upon the passage of short segments of the large bowel particularly of the rectosigmoid segment through the anus. Conclusion. Physician should keep a high level of suspicion in order to prevent it or at least recognise it early on and offer adequate management and hence reducing morbidity and mortality. Copyright 2011 Suha Deen and Martin Powell.