Infectious Colitis

Infectious colitis corresponds to the inflammation of the colon caused by an infectious agent including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungus, or parasites

Campylobacter Enterocolitis

Campylobacter enterocolitis is an inflammation of the colon caused by Campylobacter species which is a curved or spiral gram-negative rod. Campylobacter species is part of the natural flora in many wild and domestic animals including household pets. Campylobacter enterocolitis is one of the most common causes of acute bacterial gastroenteritis. Numerous Campylobacter species exist within the genus Campylobacter including Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter laridis, Campylobacter fetus, Campylobacter upsaliensis, Campylobacter sputorum, Campylobacter concisus

The histopathological approach to inflammatory bowel disease: a practice guide.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are lifelong disorders predominantly present in developed countries. In their pathogenesis, an interaction between genetic and environmental factors is involved. This practice guide, prepared on behalf of the European Society of Pathology and the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation, intends to provide a thorough basis for the histological evaluation of resection specimens and biopsy samples from patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Histopathologically, these diseases are characterised by the extent and the distribution of mucosal architectural abnormality, the cellularity of the lamina propria and the cell types present, but these features frequently overlap. If a definitive diagnosis is not possible, the term indeterminate colitis is used for resection specimens and the term inflammatory bowel disease unclassified for biopsies. Activity of disease is reflected by neutrophil granulocyte infiltration and epithelial damage. The evolution of the histological features that are useful for diagnosis is time- and disease-activity dependent: early disease and long-standing disease show different microscopic aspects. Likewise, the histopathology of childhood-onset IBD is distinctly different from adult-onset IBD. In the differential diagnosis of severe colitis refractory to immunosuppressive therapy, reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection should be considered and CMV should be tested for in all patients. Finally, patients with longstanding IBD have an increased risk for the development of adenocarcinoma. Dysplasia is the universally used marker of an increased cancer risk, but inter-observer agreement is poor for the categories low-grade dysplasia and indefinite for dysplasia. A diagnosis of dysplasia should not be made by a single pathologist but needs to be confirmed by a pathologist with expertise in gastrointestinal pathology

Salmonellosis

Salmonella is a gram-negative bacteria which invades the epithelium of the ileum and colon and is divided into two forms of disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract: typhoid and non-typhoid species. Salmonella typhi is the most common cause agent of typhoid fever; S. paratyphi can cause similar clinical symptoms. Non-typhoid species including S. enteritidis, S. typhimurium, S. javania, S muenchen, S. anatum, S. Newport, S. oranienburg are generally associated with self-limited gastroenteritis or enterocolitis. The infective dose is relatively low; approximately 102–103 organisms may cause human disease. Salmonella infection is a global health problem. It is transmitted through contaminated food and water and is prevalent in the developing countries. Salmonella infection is also an important cause of sporadic food poisoning in developed countries and traveler’s diarrhea. It has been steadily increasing steadily during the past decade. More than 95% of Salmonella infections are food-borne causing sporadic food poisoning. Salmonella can be present in eggs and egg products, fish, dry cereal, ice cream, fresh sprouts, juice, vegetables, or fruits. Poultry represents the main source of non-typhoidal Salmonella strains. They may survive partial cooking, freezing, and drying. Infection can be acquired from animals.[...