Toxic dilatation of the colon
Blackwell V., Travis S.
Toxic megacolon (TM) is defined as total or non-segmental obstructive dilatation of the colon to an external diameter of 6.0 cm or greater, associated with systemic toxicity. It is a potentially fatal condition that represents the end of a spectrum of severe colitis. Typically a complication of ulcerative colitis, it is increasingly seen as a consequence of infective colitis. This reflects the increasing prevalence and severity of pseudomembranous colitis. TM associated with Clostridium difficile infection proves fatal in as many as two out of every three patients. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.