[Massive hemorrhage of the digestive system secondary to ulcerated colonic malacoplakia]

A case of malakoplakia of the colon in a 55-year-old female patient with a massive hemorrhage of the rectum is reported. A barium enema showed polypoid lesions (pseudopolyps). Colonoscopy revealed white-yellowish nodules simulating small pustulae all along the colon at 2 cm from the anal verge. A laparatomy disclosed lobulated intraluminal masses and yellowish lesions in the form of transcolonic plates infiltrating the duodenal wall as well as a fair amount of lymph nodes in the mesentery. We performed a proctocolectomy. The histologic study showed massive infiltrate of histiocytes and numerous Michaelis-Gutmann bodies. This disease is usually found in the urinary tract and rarely found in the colon. The importance of proper histologic examination in order to arrive at a correct diagnosis is emphasized.