Enteric ulceration and its complications

Pathology of drug-associated gastrointestinal disease

A large number of drugs have gastrointestinal side-effects of which diarrhoea or constipation, nausea and vomiting are amongst the commonest. In relatively few are there diagnostic pathological changes and this review draws attention to the most common. Incriminating a drug as a cause of specific pathological changes requires the drug to be associated with the changes, for the latter to resolve when the drug is withdrawn and for them to re-appear when a patient is rechallenged with the drug. Individual histological features such as apoptosis, tissue infiltration by eosinophils and increased intra-epithelial lymphocytes within the gut mucosa can be clues to an iatrogenic aetiology but these are by no means specific. Amongst the few pathognomonic patterns of drug reactions is pseudomembranous colitis and diaphragm disease. These, along with others such as reactive gastritis and the collagenous and lymphocytic forms of microscopic colitis, in which drugs have also been implicated, are described here.

[Acute abdomen in endemic sprue--a rare complication]

BACKGROUND

The celiac sprue, a small intestinal disease usually becoming apparent by a malabsorption syndrome, is caused by gluten respectively gliadin intolerance which leads to intestinal mucosal damage finally resulting in complete villous atrophy.

CASE REPORT

A propos of the case of a 60-year old woman with an uneventful course of celiac sprue of many years we report about a rare complication of this disease. Investigating recurrent attacks of abdominal pain a barium contrast examination revealed an intestinal stenosis which clinically resulted in an acute abdomen finally requiring surgery. Histologically a chronic ulcerative jejunoileitis was found. The main differential diagnosis is a malignant intestinal lymphoma, this however couldn't be found. Regarding this differential diagnosis surgical removal of the diseased parts of the bowel is the therapy of choice. Because of the possible transition from ulcerative jejunoileitis to intestinal lymphoma a postoperative close follow-up is recommended.

Diaphragm disease: pathology of disease of the small intestine induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Operative small bowel resection specimens received over a period of 16 years were reviewed to assess whether any intestinal disease could be directly attributed to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Seven cases of intestinal disease associated with the use of NSAID were identified, all of which occurred in the final six years of the survey, which may reflect the increasing use of these compounds. A spectrum of patterns was found from multiple pathognomonic ileal mucosal diaphragms to broad strictures similar to those seen as a complication of enteric potassium. It seems likely that the formation of diaphragm lesions requires an additional factor, but what is not known as yet is whether the effects of NSAID are local or systemic.