Definition

Noun: A pathological condition characterized by an abnormally dilated and often dysfunctional large intestine (colon). This enlargement can be a primary, congenital defect or a secondary, acquired condition.

Examples of Usage

• The infant's failure to pass meconium led to a diagnosis of congenital megacolon.
• Chronic constipation and fecal impaction can result in acquired megacolon.
• The X-ray clearly showed the significant dilation indicative of megacolon.

Advanced Usage

• "Toxic megacolon": A severe, life-threatening complication of inflammatory bowel disease (like ulcerative colitis) where the colon rapidly dilates and is at risk of rupture.
  • The patient's ulcerative colitis progressed to toxic megacolon, requiring emergency surgery.

Variants and Related Words

• Colonic dilation (n): A more general clinical term for enlargement of the colon, which may or may not be termed "megacolon" based on specific diagnostic criteria.
• Hirschsprung's disease (n): A specific congenital form of megacolon caused by the absence of nerve cells in the muscles of the colon.

Synonyms

• Dilated colon (n): A descriptive synonym focusing on the physical state.
• Colonic enlargement (n): A general term for an increase in the size of the colon.

Related Phrases

• To develop megacolon (v): The process of acquiring the condition.
  • Prolonged, severe constipation can cause a patient to develop megacolon.
• Megacolon secondary to... (phrase): Used to specify the cause of the acquired condition.
  • The patient had megacolon secondary to Chagas disease.

Noun

1. an abnormal enlargement of the colon; can be congenital (as in Hirschsprung's disease) or acquired (as when children refuse to defecate)