Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2021 Aug 24;14(8):e243003.
doi: 10.1136/bcr-2021-243003.

SARS-CoV-2-triggered lymphocytic colitis

Islam Osama Nassar  1 , Gerald Langman  2 , Mohammed Nabil Quraishi  3   4 , Naveen Sharma  3   4
Affiliations
Case Reports

SARS-CoV-2-triggered lymphocytic colitis

Islam Osama Nassar et al. BMJ Case Rep. .

Abstract

The ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect the gastrointestinal tract is well described. Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are believed to represent a disorganised immune response in genetically predisposed individuals, which are triggered by various environmental factors, notably infections. Here we report a case of chronic watery diarrhoea that was triggered by a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The work-up confirmed a new diagnosis of lymphocytic colitis, and the patient responded favourably to a course of oral budesonide. Clinicians should become vigilant to the possibility of triggered IBD in patients with persistent diarrhoea following a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; gastrointestinal system; infection (gastroenterology); inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Unremarkable colonoscopy, apart from a few uncomplicated sigmoid diverticula (from left to right: rectum, sigmoid colon and cecum).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Histology, increased lamina propria chronic inflammation (H&E, ×200).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Histology, lymphocytes extending into the epithelium lining the surface and crypts (H&E, ×400).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Boland K, Nguyen GC. Microscopic colitis: a review of collagenous and lymphocytic colitis. Gastroenterol Hepatol 2017;13:671–7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Su S, Shen J, Zhu L, et al. . Involvement of digestive system in COVID-19: manifestations, pathology, management and challenges. Therap Adv Gastroenterol 2020;13:1756284820934626. 10.1177/1756284820934626 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. García Rodríguez LA, Ruigómez A, Panés J. Acute gastroenteritis is followed by an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease. Gastroenterology 2006;130:1588–94. 10.1053/j.gastro.2006.02.004 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Halpin S, O'Connor R, Sivan M. Long COVID and chronic COVID syndromes. J Med Virol 2021;93:1242–3. 10.1002/jmv.26587 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Weng J, Li Y, Li J, et al. . Gastrointestinal sequelae 90 days after discharge for COVID-19. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021;6:344–6. 10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00076-5 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources