Case 18-1989

Presentation of Case A 52-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of pain in the left lower abdominal quadrant and a question of peritonitis. The patient was well until two weeks earlier, when she fell and injured her left foot. At about the same time she experienced the onset of increasing pain in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen, accompanied by constipation, anorexia, progressive weakness, polydipsia, and polyuria. During the five days before entry she passed no stool. Two or three days before admission nausea and vomiting developed. On the day of entry she went to another hospital, . . .