Colonic Spirochetosis in a 60-Year-Old Immunocompetent Patient

Spirochetes, a genetically and morphologically distinct group of bacteria, are thin, spiral-shaped, and highly motile. They are known causes of several human diseases such as syphilis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever, and leptospirosis. We report a case of colonic spirochetosis in a healthy patient pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Taiwo Ngwa MD, Jennifer L. Peng MD, Euna Choi MD, Sucharat Tayarachakul BS, MPH, Suthat Liangpunsakul MD, MPH
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2016-08-01
Series:Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/2324709616662671
Description
Summary:Spirochetes, a genetically and morphologically distinct group of bacteria, are thin, spiral-shaped, and highly motile. They are known causes of several human diseases such as syphilis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever, and leptospirosis. We report a case of colonic spirochetosis in a healthy patient presenting for surveillance colonoscopy. The diagnosis of intestinal spirochetosis was made accidentally during the histological examination of colonic polyps, which were removed during colonoscopy. We also performed an extensive review on intestinal spirochetosis with a focus on clinical presentation and outcomes of reported cases from the past two decades.
ISSN:2324-7096