View source for Fecalith

{{Short description|Bodily stone made of feces}}
{{Infobox medical condition (new)
| name            = Fecalith
| image           = X-ray showing fecalith which has caused appendicitis.jpg
| caption         = A fecalith marked by the arrow which has resulted in acute appendicitis.
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| field           = [[General surgery]]
| synonyms        = Fecolith, coprolith, stercolith
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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 (anatomy)|colon]]. It is also called '''appendicolith''' when it occurs in the [[appendix (anatomy)|appendix]] and is sometimes concurrent with [[appendicitis]].<ref name=pmid19794272>{{cite journal |last1=Al-Nakshabandi |first1=Nizar |last2=Aljefri |first2=Ahmad |title=The stranded stone: Relationship between acute appendicitis and appendicolith |journal=Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology |date=2009 |volume=15 |issue=4 |pages=258–60 |pmid=19794272 |pmc=2981843 |doi=10.4103/1319-3767.56106 |doi-access=free }}</ref> They can also obstruct [[diverticula]]. It can form secondary to [[fecal impaction]]. A ''[[Fecal impaction#Fecaloma|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 [[wiktionary:λίθος|líthos]]=stone.<ref name=pmid18485960>{{cite journal |last1=Alaedeen |first1=Diya I. |last2=Cook |first2=Marc |last3=Chwals |first3=Walter J. |title=Appendiceal fecalith is associated with early perforation in pediatric patients |journal=Journal of Pediatric Surgery |date=May 2008 |volume=43 |issue=5 |pages=889–92 |pmid=18485960 |doi=10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2007.12.034}}</ref>
== Diagnosis ==
* CT scan
* [[Projectional radiography]]
* Ultrasound
== Complications ==
A small fecalith is one cause of both [[appendicitis]] and acute [[diverticulitis]].
<gallery>
File:AppendicolithPlainCT.png|Appendicolith as seen on CT
File:AppendicolithPlainXray.png|Appendicolith as seen on plain X ray
</gallery>
== See also ==
* [[Bezoar]]
* [[Fecal impaction]], including fecaloma
* ''Coprolith'' is also used to mean [[Coprolite|geologically fossilized feces]].
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
*{{cite journal |last1=Ramdass |first1=Michael |last2=Young |first2=Quillan |last3=Milne |first3=David |last4=Mooteeram |first4=Justin |last5=Barrow |first5=Shaheeba |title=Association between the appendix and the fecalith in adults |journal=Canadian Journal of Surgery |date=1 February 2015 |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=10–14 |doi=10.1503/cjs.002014 |pmid=25427333 |pmc=4309758 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Nigar |first1=Sofia |last2=Sunkara |first2=Tagore |last3=Culliford |first3=Andrea |last4=Gaduputi |first4=Vinaya |title=Giant Fecalith Causing Near Intestinal Obstruction and Rectal Ischemia |journal=Case Reports in Gastroenterology |date=28 February 2017 |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=59–63 |doi=10.1159/000455186 |pmid=28611554 |pmc=5465791 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Mahida |first1=Justin B. |last2=Lodwick |first2=Daniel L. |last3=Nacion |first3=Kristine M. |last4=Sulkowski |first4=Jason P. |last5=Leonhart |first5=Karen L. |last6=Cooper |first6=Jennifer N. |last7=Ambeba |first7=Erica J. |last8=Deans |first8=Katherine J. |last9=Minneci |first9=Peter C. |title=High failure rate of nonoperative management of acute appendicitis with an appendicolith in children |journal=Journal of Pediatric Surgery |date=June 2016 |volume=51 |issue=6 |pages=908–911 |doi=10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.02.056 |pmid=27018085 }}
{{Digestive system diseases}}
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|  ICD10          = {{ICD10|K|38|1|k|35}}
|  ICD9           = {{ICD9|560.39}}
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[[Category:Diseases of appendix]]
[[Category:Feces]]