The Ewha Medical Journal  2014;37(1):52-55

doi:10.12771/emj.2014.37.1.52

Toxic Megacolon Associated with Secondary Amyloidosis: An Unusual Complication of Clostridium difficile Colitis.

Hyung Won CHO 1 ; Hye Kyung JUNG ; Hyeon Ju KANG ; Yoon Pyo LEE ; Hye Won KANG ; Ki Nam SHIM ; Sung Ae JUNG

Affiliations

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Keywords

Clostridium difficile; Colitis; Toxic megacolon; Amyloidosis

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Amyloidosis is characterized by extracellular deposition of protein fibrils in one or multiple organs. AA amyloidosis is secondarily occurred to be related with chronic infections or inflammatory diseases. We report a 67-year-old man suffered from secondary AA amyloidosis related with chronic Clostridium difficile colitis after repeated total hip replacement surgery. Infection control is the most important treatment of AA amyloidosis secondary to chronic infection. However, the patient's C. difficile colitis was not controlled well, eventually toxic megacolon with sepsis was developed. Consequently, he had to take total colectomy, but he expired with multi-organ failures. We suggested that early surgical procedure might be one option for intractable C. difficile colitis complicated with secondary amyloidosis.