Serosal tears following colonoscopy.

After colonoscopic perforation, laparotomy was performed in a 28-year-old woman. Seromuscular tears and lacerations were found in an adjacent loop of sigmoid colon that appeared normal through the colonoscope. At laparotomy, the mucosa of that loop was entirely intact. Six weeks later, a laparotomy was again performed, revealing well-healed lacerations with extensive adhesion formation. The incidence of this complication in patients undergoing colonoscopy is unknown.