Abstract
Colitis following colonoscopy is an acute, self-limited condition characterized by
tenesmus and bloody diarrhea appearing within 48 hours of colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy.
Glutaraldehyde used for disinfection of the endoscopes is considered to be the main
etiological agent. Three cases of severe acute self-limited colitis are described
in this report. All three were observed within one week, and showed the typical anamnestic,
clinical, endoscopic, histological, and radiological features of glutaraldehyde-induced
colitis. The main characteristics in these cases were the time relationship with colonoscopy
and the severity of the clinical presentation, with symptoms of systemic reaction
and intense and diffuse edema of the colonic mucosa. The clinical and morphological
features may mimic those of colonic ischemia. All three patients recovered completely
within a few days, one spontaneously and two after treatment with steroids, antibiotics,
and mesalazine.
Acute colitis following colonoscopy should be regarded as one of the complications
related to colonoscopy, and it should be taken into account in the differential diagnosis
of acute colitis.
