A man in Australia caused confusion among doctors when he arrived at the emergency room complaining of severe abdominal pain, nausea, and loss of sensation in his right leg.

Upon conducting a scan of his abdomen, they discovered that he was experiencing massive fecal impaction, which could potentially lead to life-threatening abdominal compartment syndrome. Additionally, he was exhibiting symptoms of renal impairment and metabolic acidosis.

Doctors in Australia had to perform a medical intervention on a man who experienced paralysis in one of his legs due to extreme constipation.

The 53-year-old man presented himself to the emergency room with symptoms that had been developing for three days, including abdominal pain, swelling, and nausea.

He had also been experiencing right leg pain and had lost the ability to move it for the past 24 hours.

According to the BMJ Case Report, the man's leg had no detectable pulse and was cold to the touch. His medical history was unremarkable, with no history of drug use or vascular disease. It turns out that his condition was simply caused by severe constipation.

The man's rectal examination showed that he had stool impaction, while a scan of his abdomen revealed that he was suffering from massive fecal impaction and potentially life-threatening abdominal compartment syndrome, which is an increase in pressure in the abdomen.

According to the scan results, the man's fecal matter had accumulated to such an extent that it had swollen his large intestine and compressed his right iliac artery.

The pressure from the backed-up stool had caused both pain and paralysis in his leg.

In addition, the man exhibited signs of renal impairment and metabolic acidosis, indicating a serious medical condition. He was promptly taken to surgery to alleviate the pressure in his abdomen and remove the impacted fecal matter.

"Significant fecal disimpaction was performed manually under general anesthesia with approximately 2 Liters of feces removed," the medical team documented in their case report.

The cause of the fecal buildup remained unknown to the medical team.

Following the removal of the large amount of feces, the patient was provided with medication to alleviate his constipation.

Four days later, he was discharged from the intensive care unit, but it took him another 13 days to regain the ability to walk.

Severe constipation like this can be life-threatening. In 2015, a teenage girl with a toilet phobia died after holding in a bowel movement for eight weeks.

The accumulation of fecal matter caused her chest cavity to become compressed, ultimately resulting in a fatal heart attack.

This story serves as a reminder to seek medical help if you experience difficulty with bowel movements, as such conditions can pose a serious risk to your health.