Intestinal spirochetosis: epidemiology, microbiology, and clinical significance

An Unusual Case of Subacute Appendicitis and Intestinal Spirochetosis

Intestinal spirochetosis is a gastrointestinal infection with vague and inconsistent symptoms. It similarly presents multiple gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and appendicitis. We present a case of a 27-year-old female with intestinal spirochetosis who was later found to have subacute appendicitis. Further understanding of the disease and a set of criteria may have to be created for its management.

Intestinal spirochetosis as a cause of chronic diarrhoea in patients with HIV infection: case report and review of the literature

We describe a 77-year-old patient with HIV infection suffering from chronic diarrhoea whose colonoscopy findings showed normal appearance mucosa and tissue samples revealed the presence of a dense layer of spirochetes attached to the apical cell membrane. A literature search from 1996 to April 2009 identified 19 additional cases of intestinal spirochetosis in patients with HIV infection. Analysis of cases showed that intestinal spirochetosis causes chronic diarrhoea in men who have sex with men (92% of patients with reported HIV infection risk factors) who are not severely immunosuppressed (70% with CD4 lymphocyte cells >200/microL). Colonoscopy examination often revealed normal appearance mucosa. Haematoxylin and eosin stain of biopsy samples showed the presence of spirochetes, but Warthin-Starry silver staining makes organisms easier to detect. Patients promptly responded to metronidazole or penicillin therapy. In summary, invasive intestinal spirochetosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with HIV infection and chronic diarrhoea.

Occurrence of human intestinal spirochetosis in comparison with infections by other enteropathogenic agents in an area of the Northern Italy

The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of human intestinal spirochetosis (IS) by a 16S rRNA restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) in a selected group (234) of patients with gastrointestinal complaints and/or potential risk factors for IS in comparison with the occurrence of infections by other enteropathogenic agents. By using 16S rRNA RFLP-PCR, 16 patients (6.8%) with IS were found (11 infected by Brachyspira aalborgi, 3 by Brachyspira pilosicoli, and 2 by both species); moreover, 10 patients with gastroenteric viruses (4.2%), 13 with enteropathogenic bacteria other than intestinal spirochetes (5.5%), and 24 with intestinal parasites (10.2%) were found. This study provides an enhancement of the knowledge about the distribution of IS, suggesting that it may be more frequent than suspected and that clinicians should consider IS when patients present with long-standing diarrhea. Moreover, 16S rRNA RFLP-PCR might be a powerful tool not only for diagnostic purpose but also to investigate the occurrence of IS just on fecal samples, not requiring invasive diagnostic techniques.