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Inflammatory bowel disease masquerading as traveller's diarrhoea

Adam Stewart1, David Sowden1, Andrew Sloss2

  • 1Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Medicine, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.

Internal Medicine Journal
|June 12, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Travel-related diarrhea can mask serious conditions like ulcerative colitis. Promptly considering non-infectious causes beyond bacterial pathogens is crucial for early diagnosis and preventing severe outcomes in young travelers.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Diarrhea after travel is often infectious.
  • Atypical or prolonged cases require broader etiological consideration.
  • Travel history is key in diagnosing diarrhea.

Observation:

  • Two cases presented with travel-related diarrhea.
  • Diagnosis of ulcerative colitis was delayed by positive bacterial stool tests.
  • Severe inflammatory bowel disease necessitated colectomy in both patients.

Findings:

  • Bacterial pathogen identification in stool can mislead diagnosis.
  • Focusing solely on infection can delay recognition of non-infectious causes.
  • Ulcerative colitis can mimic infectious traveler's diarrhea.

Implications:

  • Early consideration of non-infectious causes is vital for traveler's diarrhea.
  • Prompt diagnosis can prevent severe morbidity and unnecessary colectomy.
  • Integrated diagnostic approaches are needed for complex travel-related gastrointestinal issues.
Keywords:
inflammatory bowel diseasestool microbiologytraveller's diarrhoea

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