Diarrhoea and colitis associated with antibiotic treatment.

Sixteen cases of colitis developing within twenty-one days of antibiotic therapy are reported. There was a wide range of disease severity. Lincomycin and Clindamycin were implicated in twelve. The colitis was of two pathological patterns pseudomembranous colitis and "non-specific" colitis. There is a relative sparing of the rectum in some cases making the diagnosis more difficult on sigmoidoscopy.