RSS Feeds
Chronic Diarrhea and Malabsorption Associated with Enteropathogenic Bacterial Infection in a Patient with AIDS
- Donald P. Kotler, MD; and
- Jan M. Orenstein, MD, PhD
- From St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, and George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Requests for Reprints: Donald P. Kotler, MD, Section of Gastrointestinal Immunology, S&R 1301, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, 421 West 113th Street, New York, NY 10025. Grant Support: In part by grant AI21414 from the National Institutes of Health.
Chronic diarrhea and weight loss are common in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) [1]. Although several infectious causes may be found, no cause is identified in as many as 50% of cases [1-4]. Other possible causes include as yet unidentified pathogens, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) itself [5], and noninfectious processes. We describe a patient who had evidence of chronic intestinal injury associated with enteropathogenic bacterial infection.
Case Report
A 33-year-old white homosexual man with AIDS and Kaposi sarcoma was seen because of diarrhea of 3 months duration and 11 kg weight loss. He claimed 10 to 40 bowel movements per day, which were often malodorous, awakened him from sleep, and were associated with cramping but not tenesmus. The volume, consistency, and frequency varied. Diarrheal volume roughly correlated with the volume of food consumed and was worsened by fatty foods and dairy …
This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.
