Megacolon

Dilatation of the COLON, often to alarming dimensions. There are various types of megacolon including congenital megacolon in HIRSCHSPRUNG DISEASE, idiopathic megacolon in CONSTIPATION, and TOXIC MEGACOLON.

Also Known As:

Networked: 223 relevant articles (5 outcomes, 13 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Constipation
2.	Hearing Loss (Hearing Impairment)
3.	Hirschsprung Disease (Hirschsprung's Disease)
4.	Chagas Disease (American Trypanosomiasis)
5.	Esophageal Achalasia (Megaesophagus)

Experts

1.	Neto, Salustiano G: 5 articles (08/2012 - 11/2008)
2.	de Oliveira, Enio C: 5 articles (08/2012 - 11/2008)
3.	da Silveira, Alexandre B M: 4 articles (08/2012 - 11/2008)
4.	Luquetti, Alejandro O: 4 articles (04/2011 - 11/2008)
5.	de Oliveira, E C: 3 articles (01/2013 - 10/2007)
6.	da Silveira, A B M: 3 articles (01/2013 - 10/2007)
7.	Correa-Oliveira, Rodrigo: 3 articles (04/2009 - 11/2008)
8.	Pépin, Jacques: 3 articles (12/2007 - 08/2004)
9.	Leslie, Jhansi L: 2 articles (11/2015 - 12/2012)
10.	Chin, David L: 2 articles (11/2015 - 12/2012)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Megacolon:

1.	Cisapride (Propulsid)FDA Link 11/01/1997 - "Thus, cisapride may be useful in the treatment of cats with idiopathic megacolon." 04/01/1999 - "[Cisapride in idiopathic megacolon-megarectum]." 11/01/1997 - "In cats with idiopathic megacolon, cisapride stimulated contractions of longitudinal smooth muscle from both the ascending and the descending colon. "
2.	Dopamine (Intropin)FDA LinkGeneric 08/26/2011 - "The congenital hearing loss involving neurodegeneration of SGNs as well as megacolon disease in Ednrb(-/-) mice were markedly improved by introducing an Ednrb transgene under control of the dopamine β-hydroxylase promoter (Ednrb(-/-);DBH-Ednrb mice) on P19. "
3.	tegaserod (Zelnorm)FDA Link 03/13/2007 - "Combined drug treatment including tegaserod, PEG 4000 and traditional Chinese medicine is effective in treating megacolon with severe constipation and may help avoid surgical treatment." 03/13/2007 - "Ten patients with megacolon confirmed by barium enema examination, 4 males and 6 females, aged 38 (15 - 66), with a mean course of 10 years (2 weeks - 23 years), all complicated by severe constipation and 5 cases with colonic obstruction confirmed by X-ray examination, 1 being diagnosed as with Hirschsprung' disease, 3 secondary to chronic constipation, 1 with diabetes mellitus, 1 with a history of anorectal malformation, 4 with colonic pseudo-obstruction, and 4 with colonic pseudo-obstruction, were treated with combined conservative therapy including tegaserod (6 mg 2/d), polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 (20 - 40 g/d), and liuweianxiao (traditional Chinese medicine, 5 # 3/d). "
4.	BariumIBA 11/01/1989 - "Once clinical suspicion of megacolon was established, a careful clinical history with special reference to bowel habit from birth was made, as well as a barium enema, anorectal manometry and rectal endoscopy and biopsy for histological and histochemical studies. " 04/21/2014 - "Intestinal transit times were normal and no megarectum/megacolon was found at barium enema. " 09/01/2006 - "Preoperative barium enema confirmed Chagasic megacolon in all patients and preoperative anorectal manometry in 33 patients (67 percent). " 01/01/2004 - "The patient recovered uneventfully and his symptoms resolved; however, a postoperative barium enema showed residual megacolon at the splenic flexure." 11/01/1997 - "Barium enema revealed marked dilation of the sigmoid colon, confirming the diagnosis of megacolon. "
5.	Substance PIBA 11/01/2008 - "The aim of this study is to characterize the expression of substance P and its main receptor, NK1 receptor, in dilated and non-dilated samples of colon from chagasic patients with megacolon. " 11/01/2008 - "Substance P and NK1 receptor expression in the enteric nervous system is related to the development of chagasic megacolon." 07/01/1973 - "Quantitative study of P substance in the megaesophagus and megacolon of human Trypanosoma cruzi infections."
6.	Pentagastrin (Peptavlon)FDA Link 01/01/1983 - "Pentagastrin had a stimulating effect on the sigmoid and rectum in control subjects as well as in chagasic patients without megacolon. " 02/01/1980 - "Lower oesophageal sphincter response to pentagastrin in chagasic patients with megaoesophagus and megacolon." 01/01/1983 - "In chagasic patients with megacolon, pentagastrin had no effect on sigmoid or rectum motility, probably as a result of the intrinsic denervation known to occur in this disease. " 01/01/1983 - "In order to evaluate the effect of pentagastrin on the motor activity of the sigmoid and rectum in patients with Chagas' disease, manometric studies were performed on 22 chagasic patients, 11 without and 11 with megacolon, and 11 control subjects. "
7.	Nitric Oxide (Nitrogen Monoxide)FDA Link 11/01/1998 - "This study was designed to examine the alterations of the nitric oxide-containing neurons in the enteric nervous system of the colon of patients who underwent resections for advanced megacolon and to compare these specimens with small-bowel specimens from the same patients and with specimens from control subjects. " 06/01/2000 - "The results support the concept that nitric oxide production modulates cholinergic nerve-mediated contractions in normal colonic circular muscle, whereas acquired megacolon is associated with altered release of this inhibitory neurochemical. " 06/01/2000 - "Nitric oxide production is diminished in colonic circular muscle from acquired megacolon." 06/01/2000 - "To determine whether nitric oxide production is altered in colon from acquired megacolon, we measured cholinergic nerve-mediated contractions in vitro before and after inhibition of nitric oxide synthase. "
8.	Neurotransmitter Agents (Neurotransmitter)IBA 11/03/1993 - "Based upon previous morphologic studies, we hypothesized that the development of acquired megacolon was associated with abnormalities of enteric neurotransmitter concentrations and enzymatic activities. "
9.	type 4 Waardenburg syndromeIBA 01/01/2001 - "Haploinsufficiency of Sox10 can thus cause pigmentation and megacolon defects, which are also observed in Sox10(Dom)/+ mice and in patients with Waardenburg-Hirschsprung disease caused by heterozygous SOX10 mutations." 06/30/2000 - "Mutations in Sox10 have been identified as a cause of the Dominant megacolon mouse and Waardenburg-Shah syndrome in human, both of which include defects in the enteric nervous system and pigmentation (and in the latter, sometimes hearing). " 10/01/2006 - "The WS4 mouse is an animal model for human Waardenburg syndrome type 4 (WS4), showing pigmentation anomalies, deafness and megacolon, which are caused by defects of neural crest-derived cells. " 07/01/2004 - "In humans, mutations in this gene are associated with Waardenburg-Shah syndrome, a disorder characterized by pigmentation defects, deafness and megacolon. " 08/07/1998 - "SOX10, a new member of the SOX gene family, is a transcription factor defective in the Dom (Dominant megacolon) mouse and in the human Shah-Waardenburg syndrome. "
10.	MegaduodenumIBA 08/01/2011 - "The aim of this paper is to report for the first time in literature a series of patient with such association, focusing on one who carries a de novo duplication of chromosome 12, suggesting a new syndromic association (megacolon, megacystis, malrotation)." 08/01/2011 - "Megacystis, megacolon, and malrotation: a new syndromic association?" 08/01/1993 - "The diagnosis of megacystis and megacolon was made very early in life for this patient. " 05/22/1983 - "[The megacystis-megacolon-hypoperistaltic intestinal syndrome]." 02/01/1962 - "[Associated megaduodenum and megacolon in 2 sisters]."

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Colectomy 12/01/1991 - "Colectomy offers good results with few complications in the treatment of idiopathic megacolon, and an ileorectal anastomosis is the preferred operation." 07/01/1993 - "Seven of the eight (87.5%), including three with megacolon, went into remission and started the chronic phase of treatment; the eighth patient underwent colectomy. " 07/01/1969 - "[Preliminary study of delayed follow-up of patients with subtotal colectomy and cecorectal anastomosis for the treatment of megacolon in the adult]." 05/01/1949 - "Of 20 patients under 15 years of age with proven diagnoses of megacolon, ten were treated surgically with either partial colectomy or resection of the entire colon down to the rectosigmoid junction after thorough trial of medical management. " 08/01/2015 - "Chronic megacolon is a severe colonic dysmotility, manifesting radiologically with increased colonic diameter; it can be proven by measuring colonic compliance and typically requires colectomy because of failed medical therapy."
2.	Chinese Traditional Medicine (Traditional Chinese Medicine) 03/13/2007 - "Combined drug treatment including tegaserod, PEG 4000 and traditional Chinese medicine is effective in treating megacolon with severe constipation and may help avoid surgical treatment." 03/13/2007 - "Ten patients with megacolon confirmed by barium enema examination, 4 males and 6 females, aged 38 (15 - 66), with a mean course of 10 years (2 weeks - 23 years), all complicated by severe constipation and 5 cases with colonic obstruction confirmed by X-ray examination, 1 being diagnosed as with Hirschsprung' disease, 3 secondary to chronic constipation, 1 with diabetes mellitus, 1 with a history of anorectal malformation, 4 with colonic pseudo-obstruction, and 4 with colonic pseudo-obstruction, were treated with combined conservative therapy including tegaserod (6 mg 2/d), polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 (20 - 40 g/d), and liuweianxiao (traditional Chinese medicine, 5 # 3/d). "
3.	Enema (Enemas) 01/01/2004 - "Abdominal X-ray showed megacolon at the splenic flexure and a contrast medium enema study showed tapering of the upper rectum. " 01/01/1995 - "In one out of 12 animals the opaque enema documented the existence of megacolon." 03/01/2002 - "Thirty patients had carcinoma of the distal rectum as diagnosed by proctologic and anatomic-pathologic examinations, 20 patients had hemorrhoids, 5 had chagasic megacolon, 2 had diverticular disease, 2 had neoplasm of the right colon, and 1 had ulcerative colitis as diagnosed by proctologic exam and/or enema. " 01/01/2008 - "Alternating constipation and nausea/vomiting were symptoms significantly related to the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome; younger age, larger intervals between bowel movements, occurrence of fecal impaction and necessity of enema were related to the diagnosis of non-chagasic megacolon and digital assistance to evacuate and large rectocele or spastic pelvic floor on rectal exam were associated to pelvic floor dysfunction. " 11/01/1989 - "Once clinical suspicion of megacolon was established, a careful clinical history with special reference to bowel habit from birth was made, as well as a barium enema, anorectal manometry and rectal endoscopy and biopsy for histological and histochemical studies. "
4.	Decompression 01/01/1988 - "This study demonstrates that colonoscopic decompression followed by tube placement is the preferred treatment modality for acute nontoxic megacolon." 02/01/2014 - "Colonic decompression and direct intraluminal medical therapy for Clostridium difficile-associated megacolon using a tube placed endoscopically in the proximal colon." 01/01/1988 - "Treatment of acute nontoxic megacolon during colonoscopy: tube placement versus simple decompression." 01/01/2012 - "Sigmoid volvulus associated with megacolon was diagnosed and emergence endoscopic decompression was performed. " 12/01/2005 - "Simultaneous decompression colonoscopy and radiologic G-tube insertion in a patient with megacolon because of chronic colonic pseudo-obstruction."
5.	Colostomy 10/01/2004 - "Eight were found not to fall into any of the above groups and were treated medically for presumed functional megacolon; 2 of these ultimately had a colostomy. " 06/01/1996 - "The megacolon detected intraoperatively has seven different causes necessitating a colostomy and further diagnostic procedures in special hospitals. " 11/01/1969 - "Treatment of acquired megacolon by retrorectal lowering of the colon with a perineal colostomy: modified Duhamel operation." 09/01/1968 - "[Treatment fo acquired megacolon with rectro-rectal lowering of the colon with perineal colostomy (modified Duhamel operation)]." 03/01/1965 - "[Colonic retro-rectal depression by perineal colostomy in the treatment of acquired megacolon. "