1987 Volume 29 Issue 3 Pages 504-508_1
We have experienced 65 cases of vibrio parahaemolyticus enterocolitis in the recent 5 years and examined 13 cases of them by colonoscopy. This time, we mainly studied the endoscopic picture. Changes such as redness, bleeding and erosion were observed in 10 out of 13 cases. Morbidity in the ileocecal region such as the terminal ileum and Bauhin's valve was frequently observed in 7 out of 8 case and 6 out of 9 cases, respectively. In 2 cases, longitudinal bleeding and erosion were observed in the sigmoid and descending colon, and these findings were similar to ischemic colitis. Vibrio parahaemolyticus has no tissue-invasion property but produces heat-resistant hemolytic poison in the intestine. It was supposed that this poison brought on diarrhea and destroyed intestinal epithelial cells, and bleeding and erosion frequently observed in the ileocecal region was caused by this mechanism. In addition it was supposed that the longitudinal lesion in the sigmoid and descending colon was an exceptional case, and peristalsis promoted by exotoxin caused the ischemia in the intestine followed by causing the disease.
