Fecalith Explained

Fecalith
Field:	General surgery
Synonyms:	Fecolith, coprolith, stercolith

A fecalith is a stone made of feces. It is a hardening of feces into lumps of varying size and may occur anywhere in the intestinal tract but is typically found in the colon. It is also called appendicolith when it occurs in the appendix and is sometimes concurrent with appendicitis.^[1] They can also obstruct diverticula. It can form secondary to fecal impaction. A fecaloma is a more severe form of fecal impaction, and a hardened fecaloma may be considered a giant fecalith. The term is from the Greek líthos=stone.^[2]

Diagnosis

• CT scan
• Projectional radiography
• Ultrasound

Complications

A small fecalith is one cause of both appendicitis and acute diverticulitis.

See also

• Bezoar
• Fecal impaction, including fecaloma
• Coprolith is also used to mean geologically fossilized feces.

External links

• Ramdass . Michael . Young . Quillan . Milne . David . Mooteeram . Justin . Barrow . Shaheeba . Association between the appendix and the fecalith in adults . Canadian Journal of Surgery . 1 February 2015 . 58 . 1 . 10–14 . 10.1503/cjs.002014 . 25427333 . 4309758 .
• Nigar . Sofia . Sunkara . Tagore . Culliford . Andrea . Gaduputi . Vinaya . Giant Fecalith Causing Near Intestinal Obstruction and Rectal Ischemia . Case Reports in Gastroenterology . 28 February 2017 . 11 . 1 . 59–63 . 10.1159/000455186 . 28611554 . 5465791 .
• Mahida . Justin B. . Lodwick . Daniel L. . Nacion . Kristine M. . Sulkowski . Jason P. . Leonhart . Karen L. . Cooper . Jennifer N. . Ambeba . Erica J. . Deans . Katherine J. . Minneci . Peter C. . High failure rate of nonoperative management of acute appendicitis with an appendicolith in children . Journal of Pediatric Surgery . June 2016 . 51 . 6 . 908–911 . 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.02.056 . 27018085 .

Notes and References

1. Al-Nakshabandi . Nizar . Aljefri . Ahmad . The stranded stone: Relationship between acute appendicitis and appendicolith . Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology . 2009 . 15 . 4 . 258–60 . 19794272 . 2981843 . 10.4103/1319-3767.56106 . free .
2. Alaedeen . Diya I. . Cook . Marc . Chwals . Walter J. . Appendiceal fecalith is associated with early perforation in pediatric patients . Journal of Pediatric Surgery . May 2008 . 43 . 5 . 889–92 . 18485960 . 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2007.12.034.