Calcium polystyrene sulfonate-induced gastrointestinal tract necrosis and perforation
Buraphat, P.; Niyomnaitham, S.; Pongpaibul, A.; Maneerattanaporn, M.
Acta Gastro-Enterologica Belgica 82(4): 542-543
2019
ISSN/ISBN: 1784-3227 PMID: 31950813 Document Number: 698455
A 50-year-old patient was admitted to our department after developing severe abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea and fever, during four days whilst travelling abroad. Imaging identified a mass in the ascending colon with simultaneous liver lesions. Initially a diagnosis of metastatic colorectal cancer was suggested, however colonoscopy showed a large lesion with a central ulcer and surrounding inflammation in the ascending colon. Biopsies confirmed our clinical suspicion of amoebic colitis, complicated by development of an amoeboma and simultaneous liver abscesses. Amoeboma formation is a rare complication of amoebiasis, however a simultaneous presentation with liver abscesses, amoebic colitis and an amoeboma might even be less frequent. Despite its rarity physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion of patients presenting with synchronous liver and colon lesions, especially as travel to endemic areas has increased.