Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation via Colonoscopy for Recurrent C. difficile Infection
Published on: December 8, 2014
Development of pseudomembranous colitis four months after initiation of rifampicin
Jeong Moon Choi1, Hyung Hun Kim, Seun Ja Park
1Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Abstract:
Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) may develop with long-term antibiotic administration, but is rarely reported to be caused by antitubercular agents. We present a case of PMC that occurred 120 days after starting rifampicin. A 74-year-old man was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and started on a standard HERZ regimen (isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampicin, pyrazinamide). After 4 months of HERZ, he presented with frequent bloody, mucoid, jelly-like diarrhea and lower abdominal pain. Sigmoidoscopy revealed multiple whitish plaques with edematous mucosa that were compatible with PMC. Biopsies from these lesions showed ulcer-related necrotic and granulation tissue. We stopped antitubercular treatment and started the patient on oral metronidazole. His symptoms completely resolved within 2 weeks. Antitubercular treatment was restarted by replacing rifampicin with levofloxacin. The patient did not present with diarrhea or bloody stool throughout the rest of treatment.
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the progression...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Clinical Manifestations
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
