Total proctocolectomy with permanent end ileostomy is curative for patients with UC and returns most patients to excellent health while removing premalignant colonic mucosa in patients with UC or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Improvements in surgical techniques and a better…
Historically, the goals of treatment of Crohn disease (CD) and UC have been achievement of symptomatic remission, namely absence of abdominal pain, diarrhea, or rectal bleeding and normalization of primarily symptom-based disease activity indices such as the CD activity index…
IBD comprises conditions characterized by chronic or relapsing immune activation and inflammation within the GI tract. Crohn disease (CD) and UC are the 2 major forms of IBD; less common, but increasingly recognized, are the microscopic colitides, primarily collagenous colitis…
Parasitic worms are found worldwide, but intestinal colonization by helminths is most common in less industrialized, developing countries. Modern travel, emigration, and consumption of “exotic” cuisines allow intestinal helminths to appear in any locale. People now acquire tropical helminths without…
Intestinal protozoa traditionally have been considered important pathogens in the developing world, where food and water hygiene are poor. A basic knowledge of the intestinal protozoa that cause human disease is of growing importance to physicians practicing medicine in the…
Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea Etiology Diarrhea is a common adverse effect of antibiotic use and can result from a variety of mechanisms. The most common type of diarrhea, often simply called antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), is not associated with any specific pathogen and…
Food poisoning is defined as an illness caused by the consumption of food contaminated with bacteria, bacterial toxins, parasites, viruses, or chemicals. The percentage of outbreaks for which an etiology is confirmed has increased significantly from 40% in 1998 to…
Infectious diarrhea is a major cause of illness throughout the world with 2.39 billion episodes of diarrhea estimated in 2015, of which 957.5 million occurred in children under the age of 5 years. Despite the number of deaths attributed to…
Whipple disease (WD) is a chronic systemic infection caused by a Gram-positive bacillus, Tropheryma whipplei . The small intestine is most commonly affected, but a variety of other organs may also be involved, including the joints, CNS, and heart. Clinical…
Diarrheal disease is common in tropical countries, affecting individuals of all ages and including indigenous residents as well as travelers to these countries. The frequency of diarrheal disease in warm tropical climates relates to multiple factors, including poor hygiene, poor…