Colon Conundrum: A Fascinating Case Report Unraveling the Enigmatic Tactoid Bodies

Tactile corpuscle-like bodies (TCLBs) are specialized mechanoreceptors found in the dermal papilla of glabrous skin. They are normally not found in the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa. There has been an increase in incidental detection in the GI mucosa due to the widespread use of colonoscopy procedures. However, TCLB's clinical implications in the GI tract remain unknown. We present a case of a 74-year-old man who was noted to have TCLBs in the rectosigmoid mucosa following resection for iatrogenic perforation. The TCLBs were spindle-shaped, positive for S-100, and negative for CD68. We review the literature on TCLBs in the GI tract and discuss their potential function in the GI mucosa.