Toxic megacolon

**Definition:** Toxic megacolon is an acute form of colonic distension characterised by a very dilated colon, accompanied by abdominal distension (bloating), and sometimes fever, abdominal pain, or shock. "Toxic" means that this complication occurs with inflammation. Toxic megacolon is a rare, life-threatening widening of the large intestine that occurs within a few days, occurring as a complication of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease, or colitis of infectious origin.