[Toxic reactions to gold salts with severe enterocolitis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis]

A case of severe enterocolitis which occurred on initiation of chrysotherapy for rheumatoid arthritis is reported. The patient, a male aged 50 years, suffered from dramatic diarrhea for several weeks. Biopsy specimens from the stomach, ileum and colon revealed signs of inflammation. Later, general toxicodermia, mouth ulcers, blood eosinophilia and asymptomatic proteinuria were observed. After several months all the side effects disappeared. The toxicodermia was the most persistent.