Antibiotic-associated colitis--an abating enigma.

In the past decade, C. difficile has been implicated as the putative organism in antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis. The natural history, clinical features, and pathologic features have been better defined. Vancomycin is the current drug of choice in treating this illness, but other therapies as well as exciting epidemiologic areas need to be explored. The role of C. difficile toxin in chronic inflammatory bowel disease is another area which also must be evaluated.