Constipation unmasks an unexpected diagnosis
An elderly woman’s chronic difficulty passing stools is a clue to an increasingly common, easily missed malignancy
Naomi, an 81-year-old woman, presents to her local ED with intermittent cramping abdominal pain and a paucity of bowel motions.
Her bowels have not opened adequately for five days. She saw her GP two days prior and was referred for an abdominal X-ray that demonstrated faecal loading. However, she has not taken aperients as her GP advised, citing painful defecation and haemorrhoids affecting her ability to pass stool.
