Cecal Ulcer

Introduction

Solitary ulcer of the cecum was first described by Cruveilhier in 1832. The subject of cecal ulcers is confusing and complicated because they are uncommon and have multiple causes. A variety of terms, including solitary cecal ulcer, acute cecal ulcer, and benign solitary cecal ulcer, have been used to describe these lesions. Case inclusion varies. For example, Ong et al, in a recent review of “solitary caecal ulcer syndrome,” excluded cecal ulcers associated with colon cancer, infectious causes, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) use, and inflammatory bowel disease, whereas the case report and literature review of “benign solitary cecal ulcer” by Chi and Hanauer described a case that was caused by an infectious agent. Perhaps it is more useful to consider cecal ulcers in the context in which they are found, after which the potential causes can be considered and treatment can be tailored. Knowledge of the possible causes is essential to this approach.