A CASE REPORT OF YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA COLITIS OBSERVED CONSECUTIVELY BY ENDOSCOPY

Abstract

A 42-year-old man visited our hospital with complaints of diarrhoea and ileocecal pain. Since barium enema study showed a markedly swollen ileocecal valve, colonoscopic examination was subsequently performed. A reddish swelling with central ulceration of the ileocecal valve and multiple erosions with edema from the terminal ileum to the ascending colon were observed. Bacteriological and histological examinations showed no specific findings. We made a diagnosis of Yersinia enterocolitis, because of significant elevation of antibody titer to Yersinia (>0 : 80). Endoscopical examination two months later showed significant improvement of the swelling of the ileocecal valve and erosions. Cases with consecutive endoscopical observations of this disease have been rarely reported. In this case, the swelling of the ileocecal valve drew our attention, but we found it difficult to make an endoscopical differential diagnosis between Yersinia enterocolitica colitis and campylobacter enterocolitis by endoscopical findings alone.