RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of colonoscopy for Salmonella-Shigella culture of biopsy specimen and intraluminal fluid during colonoscopy in patients with acute diarrhea. METHODS: From March 2001 to August 2001, sixty-six patients with watery or bloody diarrhea lasting less than 15 days were participated after exclusion of the patients with previous history or presumption of inflammatory bowel disease, radiation colitis, ischemic colitis, or pseudomembranous colitis. The biopsy specimen was taken and colonic luminal fluid was aspirated during colonoscopy for Salmonella-Shigella cultures. RESULTS: Male and female ratio was 1:1.3 and mean age was 45 17 years. The normal colonoscopic finding was showed in twelve cases (18.2%). The severity of acute colitis was mild in 25 cases (25/54, 46.3%), moderate in 9 cases (9/54, 16.7%), and severe in 20 cases (20/54, 37.0%). The extent of acute colitis was as followed: involvement of one segment in 9 cases (16.7%), involvement of two or more segments in 26 cases (48.1%), pancolitis in 7 cases (13.0%), and pancolitis with involved terminal ileum in 12 cases (22.2%). In culture study, identification of Salmonella species was in 11 cases (16.7%). Salmonella species were identified in 6.0% (3/50) with stool specimen, 18.0% (9/50) with biopsy specimen, and 4.0% (2/50) with intraluminal fluid, but without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The culture using biopsy specimens and intraluminal fluid obtained during colonoscopy may be helpful in diagnosis of cases of suggesting Salmonella-Shigella infection.