Campylobacter enteritis associated with recurrent abortions in agammaglobulinemia

Campylobacter enteritis and habitual abortions occurred in a 28-year-old patient suffering from agammaglobulinemia. Campylobacter jejuni has been recently recognized to be a common treatable cause of diarrhea in man. Since bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine is increased in hypo- or agammaglobulinemia, Campylobacter is expected to be found in those patients. As this patient's abortions might have been due to the same infection, Campylobacter should be considered in the differential diagnosis of habitual abortions, especially if associated with diarrheal disease. This treatable disease must be sought in every case of agammaglobulinemia and gastro-intestinal complaints, before complicated diagnostic procedures are performed or potentially toxic drugs are administered.