Unusual colitides

One-month-old infant with multiple ulcers of stomach, small bowel, large bowel, and protein-losing enteropathy: case report

Multiple inflammatory ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract are rare in young infants. Most cases are caused by infectious organisms, vasculitis, or an autoimmune process. We report a 1-month-old infant who was healthy until he presented with an inflammatory mesenteric cyst, and multiple ulcers of the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon. Histologically, the ulcerations were sharply demarcated, full thickness, and filled with macrophages. He had a low serum albumin and IgG due to protein-losing enteropathy. He was treated with supportive care and immunomodulating drugs. The gastrointestinal inflammation resolved by 3 and 1/2 years of age. The medications were withdrawn at 5 and 1/2 years of age he had no relapse of clinical symptoms. He continues to have asymptomatic mild hypoalbuminemia and low serum IgG. We could not find a report of a similar clinical presentation and outcome.

Non-infective colitis in infancy: evidence in favour of minor immunodeficiency in its pathogenesis

Forty two infants below the age of 2 years presenting with chronic non-infective diarrhoea and shown to have histologically proved colitis were investigated over a five year period. Allergic colitis was the most common cause of colitis, accounting for 62% of the cases. Other colitides diagnosed included: non-specific colitis, autoimmune enterocolitis, and ulcerative colitis accounting for 10% each; severe combined immunodeficiency 7%, and Crohn's disease 3%. A positive family history and a personal history of atopy were obtained in 48% and 29% of the cases respectively. Serum immunoglobulin A, IgG2, and IgG4 were very low in over 50% of the entire cohort of infants with colitis; 66% of those with severe combined immunodeficiency, autoimmune enterocolitis, and ulcerative colitis (n = 11) had low CD3 and CD4 T lymphocytes with an accompanying increase in CD8 in two thirds of those with severe combined immunodeficiency. T lymphocytes were normal in those with allergic colitis. Thus infants with proved non-infective colitis as a group show a high prevalence of IgA, IgG2, and IgG4 deficiency. It is likely that this minor deficiency of mucosa associated immunoglobulin production has a role in the pathogenesis of the colitic process.