Further electron microscopic evidence of virus-like particles in Crohn's disease.

Electron microscopic investigation of patients with Crohn's disease of the colon revealed virus-like particles mainly in epithelial cells and macrophages near ulcerative lesions. The particles had a double membrane, a sometimes electron-opaque central core, were round to oval in shape with the size, ranging from 30-70 nm in diameter. They commonly were located in clusters, but also singly in the cell cytoplasm, not intranuclear. These findings are in good agreement with recent culture studies in Crohn's disease.