J Korean Surg Soc.  2005 Feb;68(2):149-152.

Neutropenic Enterocolitis in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. namkyuk@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Neutropenic enterocolitis is an acute life-threatening, necrotizing inflammation of cecum and terminal ileum often seen in leukemia and lymphoma during periods of prolonged or severe neutropenia. It has been also referred to as necrotizing enterocolitis, ileocecal syndrome, or typhlitis (from the Greek word typhlon meaning cecum). The pathophysiology of the neutropenic enterocolitis is unknown but is believed to be multifactorial. The clinical symptoms of neutropenic enterocolitis are nonspecific including fever, abdominal pain (often right lower quadrant), abdominal distension, diarrhea, bloody stools, nausea, and vomiting. So acute appendicitis is should be included in the differential diagnosis. The early signs and symptoms are nonspecific and it may rapidly lead to intestinal perforation. The definite management of neutropenic enterocolitis is contrversial. but the prognosis is likely to be good with early diagnosis and proper management. We report one case of neutropenic enterocolitis in acute myelogenous leukemia with literature review.

Keyword

Neutropenic enterocolitis; Typhlitis; Acute myelogenous leukemia

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Appendicitis
Cecum
Diagnosis, Differential
Diarrhea
Early Diagnosis
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing
Enterocolitis, Neutropenic*
Fever
Ileum
Inflammation
Intestinal Perforation
Leukemia
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute*
Lymphoma
Nausea
Neutropenia
Prognosis
Typhlitis
Vomiting
Full Text Links
  • JKSS
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr