Secretory diarrhea in ulcerative colitis.

Severe secretory diarrhea developed in a 15-year-old girl with ulcerative colitis restricted to the distal 30 cm of the colon. No known hormonal or pathologic cause for the secretory diarrhea was discovered. Since the diarrhea subsided after colectomy, it appeared to be secondary to a factor(s) in the inflamed bowel. We believe this is the first report of secretory diarrhea secondary to ulcerative colitis restricted to the distal portion of the large bowel.