Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction: a diagnosis to be considered

• Published in: Revista española de enfermedades digestivas Vol. 101; no. 5; pp. 336 - 342
• Main Authors: Muñoz-Yagüe, M T, Solís-Muñoz, P, Salces, I, Ballestín, C, Colina, F, Ibarrola, C, López-Alonso, G, Carreira, P, Cruz Vigo, F, Solís Herruzo, J A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain Sociedad Española de Patología Digestiva 01-05-2009
• Subjects: Actins - deficiency; Adult; Chronic Disease; Colectomy; Constipation - etiology; Female; Gastroenterology & Hepatology; Gastrointestinal Transit; Geriatrics & Gerontology; Humans; Ileostomy; Infectious Diseases; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction - diagnosis; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction - epidemiology; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction - etiology; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction - physiopathology; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction - surgery; Laparoscopy; Manometry; Middle Aged; Muscle, Smooth - physiopathology; Muscular Diseases - complications; Muscular Diseases - diagnosis; Neuromuscular Diseases - complications; Oncology; Pathology; Pharmacology & Pharmacy; Puerperal Disorders - etiology; Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging; Scleroderma, Systemic - complications; Surgery; Pheochromocytoma; Diagnosis; Radiculopathy; Scleroderma; Deficit of alpha actin; Intestinal pseudo-obstruction
• ISSN: 1130-0108; 1130-0108
• DOI: 10.4321/S1130-01082009000500005

Chronic intestinal pseudoobstruction (CIPO) is a rare entity characterized by recurrent clinical episodes of intestinal obstruction in which no mechanical cause is identified. There are multiple causes for this syndrome but two main groups can be distinguished: a) secondary to a systemic non-gastrointestinal disease; and b) primary or idiopathic originated from alterations in the components of the intestinal wall. The latter forms are the most uncommon and their diagnosis is generally difficult. In the present article, we describe nine patients with CIPO that were diagnosed in our center over the last six years. Four of them were diagnosed with primary or idiopathic form of CIPO and another four were clearly secondary to a systemic disease. The ninth case, which was initially diagnosed as secondary, is probably also a primary form of the disease. The number of patients diagnosed in our center, even thought small, makes us to hypothesize that the prevalence of CIPO is probably greater than is generally believed and that the reasons of its rarity are the incomplete understanding of its physiopathology and the difficulties to achieve a correct diagnosis.