Malignant histiocytosis and ulcerative jejunitis of the small intestine

Thirteen patients are described with malignant histiocytosis of the small bowel, five of these also having ulcerative jejunitis. In seven patients the malignancy arose as a complication of established coeliac disease. In six patients there was a much shorter history, but these patients also had coeliac disease. The prognosis is poor and there is a need to establish the diagnosis early, in the hope that chemotherapy may be helpful. The diagnosis should be suspected radiologically where there are areas of luminal narrowing associated with nodular thickening of the valvulae, alternating with more dilated portions of the small intestine with normal valvulae.