[Pathomorphology of the large intestinal mucosa in acute infectious colitis]

634 biopsies of distal colon mucosa from 393 patients with acute intestinal bacterial and viral infections were studied histologically, histochemically and morphometrically. Acute catarrhal or catarrhal-hemorrhagic inflammation was found regardless of the colitis etiology (Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, rotavirus). The most pronounced inflammation was in shigellosis and minimal one in rotavirus infection. Marked eosinophilic infiltration of the epithelium and tunica propria was observed in colonic contamination with C. pylori. Correlation analysis between morphometric indices in shigellosis and salmonellosis revealed a decrease in the number of strong functional links and the appearance of new ones indicating morphofunctional derangement.