The role of radiology in Campylobacter enterocolitis.

A series of 18 patients with diarrhoea and positive stool cultures for Campylobacter jejuni is presented. The most important radiological features were thickening of ileal mucosal folds, of interhaustral indentations and of the ileocaecal valve, lymphoid hyperplasia and microulcerations. Radiology, as well as endoscopy, are both nonspecific in Campylobacter jejuni enterocolitis. The importance of radiology is to exclude more typical features of other causes of inflammatory bowel diseases. Moreover, before the result of the stool culture is available, the radiological features should suggest the suspicion of an acute infectious enterocolitis by Campylobacter jejuni as possible diagnosis.

Roentgenologic changes of the colon in Campylobacter infection.

A double-contrast examination of the colon was performed during diarrheal illness in 5 patients with Campylobacter infection. The findings in these 5 patients were aphthoid ulcers and stippled appearance. In 1 patient with stool culture positive for Campylobacter, double-contrast study of the colon 9 days later showed no abnormalities. In a 12-year-old boy lymphoid hyperplasia could be observed as well as the aphthoid ulcers. All the abnormalities were segmental, more often localized in the rectosigmoid. No changes were found in the ascending colon. Histopathologic studies of the biopsy specimens taken endoscopically in 3 patients showed a nonspecific inflammatory reaction.

The colitides.

Diverse signs may be seen on barium enema in the various forms of colitis. Barium enema is only reasonably specific in the diagnosis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis once the other possible diseases have been excluded from consideration by biopsy, microscopy, culture, or therapeutic trial. In particular, campylobacter colitis has proved to be such a common entity that many patients originally thought to have had one attack of ulcerative colitis, ischemic colitis, or Crohn's colitis may never have had these diseases. Many of the relatively specific signs can be seen in a variety of conditions. For example, aphthae in the colon may be seen in Crohn's disease, yersinia enterocolitis, Behçet's syndrome, amebiasis, ischemia, tuberculosis, and campylobacter colitis. Continuity of disease is characteristic in ulcerative colitis. Nevertheless, patches of healing may occur, so that a rare patient may be seen during a resolving attack of ulcerative colitis in whom only scattered patches of active disease can be seen on barium enema. In general, few radiologic signs on barium enema are truly specific for one disease, with penumatosis cystoides coli being an exception to this rule. However, the sensitivity of barium enema with currently available materials for double-contrast techniques is such that radiology continues to be useful at present in diagnosing the colitides and in managing patients.

Campylobacter colitis: a common infectious form of acute colitis.

A case of acute ulcerating colitis due to Campylobacter fetus is presented. The radiographic and endoscopic findings are indistinguishable from those of idiopathic acute ulcerative colitis. The clinical and bacteriological data relating to Campylobacter are discussed.