ENTEROCOLITIS DUE TO A SAPONIN CONTAINING DRUG - A CASE-STUDY

The case of a 60-year-old female patient with watery diarrhea is repor ted. The history was characterized by prolonged diagnostic vagaries, d ue in part to histological features of ileal, rectal and duodenal biop ies which were suggestive of celiac disease. This was clinically exclu ded. After halting the intake of a compound drug containing saponins, administered for venous insufficiency, the diarrhea ceased immediately but could be provoked by rechallenge with the same drug. The patient thus-had drug induced chronic diarrhea mimicking celiac disease, a con dition which is less rare than is thought and easily diagnosed by a th orough enquiry on drug intake.