Sebastián J J, Botella M T
Unidad de Endoscopia Digestiva, Hospital General Miguel Servet, Zaragoza.
Gastroenterol Hepatol. 1996 Aug-Sep;19(7):363-5.
Pseudomembranous colitis is an inflammatory disease of rectal and colonic mucosa caused by Clostridium difficile produced toxin. The inflammation is produced as the consequence of a non-specific response to several agents. It usually presents with abdominal pain and mild watery diarrhea which used to decrease when removing the antibiotic or when starting the therapy with metronidazole or vancomycin. In aged patients, with severe concomitant diseases, may appear complications such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, hypotension and toxic megacolon, which occasionally may lead to fatal outcome. We report the case of a severe pseudomembranous colitis, with a fulminant clinical course, in a patient without a recent antibiotic therapy.