A hard, compacted mass of feces in the colon is known as?

A hard, compacted mass of feces in the colon is known as?

• A. Fecalith
• B. Diverticulum
• C. Crohn disease
• D. Ileus

Answer: (A)

A fecalith is a hard, compacted mass of feces formed when stool sits in the colon and becomes dehydrated, turning into a stone-like lump. This mass is different from a diverticulum, which is a pouch that protrudes from the colon wall; from Crohn disease, which is a chronic inflammatory condition; and from ileus, which is a generalized slowdown of bowel movement without a discrete stool mass. A fecalith can cause obstruction if large, and on imaging it may appear as a dense, echogenic focus with shadowing if calcified.

A fecalith is a hard, compacted mass of feces formed when stool sits in the colon and becomes dehydrated, turning into a stone-like lump. This mass is different from a diverticulum, which is a pouch that protrudes from the colon wall; from Crohn disease, which is a chronic inflammatory condition; and from ileus, which is a generalized slowdown of bowel movement without a discrete stool mass. A fecalith can cause obstruction if large, and on imaging it may appear as a dense, echogenic focus with shadowing if calcified.