RSS Feeds
Brown Bowel Syndrome
- A. H. TOFFLER, M.D.;
- P. B. HUKILL, M.D.; and
- H. M. SPIRO, M.D., F.A.C.P.
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Howard M. Spiro, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut.
Excerpt
Extensive brown pigmentation of the muscular layer of the small bowel is uncommon, although such discoloration of the gastrointestinal tract has been recorded in isolated case reports for the past 20 years (1-12). We recently studied a patient with extensive brown pigmentation of the small intestine. The picture he presented was not recognized by us or by our colleagues in this or several other cities, and most often was considered a form of melanosis coli. Our report proposes to review the clinical and pathologic pattern of this "brown bowel" syndrome.
CASE REPORT A 50-year-old man entered the Grace-New Haven Community
Acknowledgment
We are grateful to Dr. H. H. Irwin of New London, Connecticut, who recognized the pathology and referred the patient to us for further study.
We thank Dr. Philip Harris, Biochemistry Laboratories Distillation Products Industries, Division of Eastman Kodak Company, for performing the study of plasma tocopherol concentration.
Summario in Interlingua
Un brunastre discoloration del strato muscular in le intestino tenue esseva primo describite in animales mantenite con dietas a carentia de vitamina E. Clinicamente, iste pigmentation ha essite trovate le plus frequentemente in association con le syndrome de malabsorption, sin reguardo a su etiologia. Recente investigationes ha revelate que carentia de vitamina A es un concomitante problema in un grand procentage del casos, probabilissimemente a causa de non-absorption de iste vitamina que es solubile in grassia. Le presentia de asymptomatic discoloration brunastre, macroscopicamente visibile in le intestino, esseva discoperite incidentalmente in le laparotomia de un masculo de racia blanc de 50 annos de etate qui habeva pancreatitis chronic e insufficientia pancreatic. Un detaliate investigation laboratorial e pathologic establiva que le patiente habeva sever malabsorption de grassia e carentia secundari de vitamina E. Le termino "syndrome a intestino brun" es consequentemente proponite como le anatomic signo identificatori de carentia de vitamina E. Su presentia deberea alertar le clinico, le chirurgo, e le pathologo relative al possibilitate de un stato de malabsorption.
Article and Author Information
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From the Departments of Medicine and Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
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This study was supported by United States Public Health Service grants C-2578, A-5100, A-3473, and A-1785.
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- Received November 1, 1962.
- Accepted November 30, 1962.
