Case Report on Ogilvie’s Syndrome: A Rare Clinical Entity

This is a syndrome of acute intestinal pseudo-obstruction associated with massive dilation, usually of the colon, but also of the small intestine. It describes the phenomenon of an acute colonic pseudo-obstruction without a mechanical cause. Mechanical obstruction is absent and there is parasympathetic nerve dysfunction. It was first described by Sir William Ogilvie in 1948, an English surgeon who was also an examiner for Oxbridge and wrote papers on fractures and hernias. It is a relatively rare condition. Males are more commonly affected than females. It is more common in the elderly. An imbalance in the autonomic innervations (sympathetic over activity and parasympathetic suppression) has been thought to be the pathophysiological factor in the causation of this condition. Reported here is a case of acute colonic pseudo-obstruction which developed in a female patient of age 45 with hypertension and histerectomy was made 25 years back and was treated conservatively. The patient stool culture should be done periodically and if any infectious agents were found should be monitored and appropriate treatment has to be done. It usually responds to non-operative therapy, but occasionally requires surgical intervention