Rectosigmoid Compression and Colonic Distension by a Distended Bladder Mimicking Intestinal Obstruction: A Diagnostic Pitfall in a Paraplegic Spinal Cord Injury Patient

Abstract: We report the case of a 50-year-old man, paraplegic following a spinal cord injury six months prior, who presented with a four-day history of fecal and gas retention. Abdominopelvic CT revealed massive colonic distension caused by extrinsic compression from a distended urinary bladder, mimicking a mechanical intestinal obstruction. This case highlights the importance of considering extrinsic, particularly urological, causes of pseudo-obstructive syndromes in chronically neurologically impaired patients.