What is a common cause of bowel perforation?

Bowel perforation is often associated with conditions that lead to increased pressure or inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, and diverticulitis is one of the most common causes. This condition involves inflammation or infection of diverticula, which are small pouches that can form in the wall of the colon. When diverticula become inflamed, they can weaken the intestinal wall, potentially leading to perforation. A perforated bowel can result in the leakage of intestinal contents into the abdominal cavity, leading to serious complications such as peritonitis.

Other conditions mentioned, such as chronic cough, pleural effusion, and gastritis, are not typically direct causes of bowel perforation. Chronic cough may lead to complications related to the respiratory system, pleural effusion is related to fluid accumulation in the thoracic cavity, and gastritis involves inflammation of the stomach lining, none of which usually impact the integrity of the bowel to the extent seen in diverticulitis.