Clinical Snapshot Radiopaque Coproliths in the Pelvis Minor

[摘要] A 56-year-old male dialysis patient was admitted for routine investigations in connection with kidney transplant listing. Pelvic radiography showed an inhomogeneously radiopaque structure projecting onto the pelvis minor and smaller concrements projecting onto the ascending, descending, and sigmoid colon (Figure). No contrast medium had been given. On specific questioning, the patient reported chronic obstipation since taking the phosphate binder lanthanum carbonate. Following administration of an enema, the structure projecting onto the rectum was no longer detectable. While obstipation is known to be a frequently occurring complication of treatment with lanthanum carbonate (1–10%), the radiopaque concrements, caused by the presence of the transition metal, represent a little-known radiological differential diagnosis of unclear radiopaque concrements of the gastrointestinal tract. Occasionally (0.1–1%) ileus is also found, in some cases from unchewed tablets.

[学科分类] 医学（综合）