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Published on: June 11, 2011
A Rare Cause of Diarrhea: Intestinal Spirochetosis in an HIV-Positive Patient
Lacey Falgout1, Shilpa Kailas1, Supraja Sridhar1
1Department of Gastroenterology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.
None:
Intestinal spirochetosis (IS) is a rare gastrointestinal infection with vague presenting symptoms. Diagnosis is confirmed histopathologically. Risk factors include homosexuality and HIV. Antibiotic treatment with metronidazole usually leads to resolution of symptoms. We present the case of a 56-year-old HIV-positive man with chronic, watery diarrhea who was diagnosed with IS. This case highlights the importance of considering IS in the differential in HIV-positive patients with nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms after more common etiologies have been ruled out.
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