Title: Ultrasound diagnosis of clinically undetected Clostridium difficile toxin colitis
Abstract: Clostridium difficile toxin (CDT) colitis is a form of colitis associated with an overgrowth of C. difficile. Almost all antibiotics and some anti-neoplastic agents have been implicated as factors leading to CDT colitis. 1 Bartlett J.G. Antibiotic associated diarrhoea. Clin Infect Dis. 1992; 15: 573-581 Crossref PubMed Scopus (371) Google Scholar The increasing use of these has led to an increase in the incidence of CDT colitis. By altering the normal colonic flora, antibiotic use allows C. difficile bacteria to proliferate. The bacteria produce an enterotoxin that is cytotoxic and causes colitis. 1 Bartlett J.G. Antibiotic associated diarrhoea. Clin Infect Dis. 1992; 15: 573-581 Crossref PubMed Scopus (371) Google Scholar CDT colitis occasionally occurs after intestinal obstruction or bowel surgery, and more frequently affects the elderly. 2 Ros P.R. Buetow P.C. Pantograg-Brown L. et al. Pseudomembranous colitis. Radiology. 1996; 198: 1-9 Crossref PubMed Scopus (67) Google Scholar The clinical features are often non-specific, the patients presenting with diarrhoea, abdominal pain, pyrexia and leucocytosis frequently diagnosed as appendicitis, diverticulitis, or intra-abdominal abscess. The symptoms can vary from mild diarrhoea to life-threatening colitis. Early recognition and management of C. difficile related colitis with appropriate antibiotic treatment decreases the incidence of fulminant colitis, although surgery is still occasionally required for patients with toxic megacolon or perforation.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-05-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 14
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