CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI ENTEROCOLITIS CAUSING PERITONITIS, ILEITIS AND INTESTINAL-OBSTRUCTION

Patients with Campylobacter enterocolitis may come to laparotomy due t o the severity of abdominal symptoms and signs, although only two pati ents with intestinal inflammation have been described and in neither w as the histopathology documented. A case of a 52 year old male who had a typical diarrhoeal illness of Campylobacter enterocolitis diagnosed on stool culture is reported. Despite appropriate treatment he develo ped signs and symptoms consistent with small intestinal obstruction. L aparotomy revealed peritonitis and thickened distal ileum with transmu ral inflammatory changes on histopathology. These changes were shown t o have completely resolved at a second laparotomy, required for persis tent obstruction due to adhesions. Recurrent adhesions culminated in a third laparotomy. The clinical, operative and histopathological findi ngs may be confused with Crohn's disease.