Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine and the Pediatric In-

Chronic stool retention with soiling is a common and distressing condition in children. Diagnosis and treatment generally involve both medical and psychological aspects. This case addresses a potentially life-threatening complication of shock occurring during treatment of chronic stool retention with castor oil, and also explores the psychosocial factors felt to be contributory. CHRONIC STOOL RETENTION in children, with the associated development of megacolon and soiling, is a condition that causes much distress for both the child and family. The condition can be ac-companied by significant psychological problems, in-cluding family conflicts and difficulty with peers. ~~ ~ It is somewhat more unusual to find serious medical se-quelae. The following case illustrates a rare, but serious and potentially fatal, complication associated with de-layed treatment of this disorder