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Pseudomembranous colitis after itraconazole therapy
A J Nguyen1, D B Nelson, J R Thurn
1Department of Medicine VA Medical Center and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 55417, USA.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|July 16, 1999
Summary
A man developed pseudomembranous colitis after taking the antifungal itraconazole. This condition, marked by colon pseudomembranes, may result from the drug disrupting gut fungi.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Antifungal agents like itraconazole are crucial for treating fungal infections.
- Disruption of the gut microbiome by medications can lead to gastrointestinal complications.
- Pseudomembranous colitis is typically associated with antibiotic use.
Observation:
- A 53-year-old male presented with abdominal pain and nonbloody diarrhea.
- Symptoms began one month post-initiation of itraconazole therapy.
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy revealed characteristic pseudomembranes in the colon.
Findings:
- Other causes of diarrhea were systematically excluded.
- The clinical presentation and endoscopic findings were consistent with pseudomembranous colitis.
- This is the first reported case linking itraconazole to pseudomembranous colitis.
Implications:
- Itraconazole may disrupt the colonic fungal flora, leading to an overgrowth of other microorganisms and subsequent colitis.
- Clinicians should consider itraconazole as a potential cause of pseudomembranous colitis in patients with relevant symptoms.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the precise mechanism and incidence of this adverse effect.
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