Unusual etiology of slow colonic transit constipation: visceral hypertophic myopathy

Background: Slow transit constipation (STC) is a disorder of intestinal motility of unknown etiology. Myogenic or neural mechanisms have been implicated in its pathophysiology. Morphological changes seen in intestinal myopathies include fibrosis, hypertrophy or atrophy of muscle fibers, vacuolation of myocytes, and alteration in the immunohistochemical staining patterns of myocyte contractile proteins, abnormal muscle layering, and presence of intracellular inclusion bodies. Patient and method: A 48 year-old woman came up with chronic constipation. Slow colonic transit was demonstrated by radio-opaque marker ret…