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Intestinal Spirochaetosis

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Gastrointestinal Pathology

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Pathology ((CT PATHOLOGY,volume 81))

Abstract

Spirochaetes have been noted in human faeces since the end of the last century. Initially they were reported in patients suffering from cholera or infantile diarrhoea (Escherich 1884, 1886), dysentery (Dantec 1903) or appendicitis (Thiroloix and Durand 1911) and an anaerobe spirochaete, Spirochaeta eugyrata, was cultured from two symptomatic cases (Thiroloix and Durand 1911; Houge 1922). Subsequently spirochaetes were reported in the stools of healthy individuals (Werner 1909; Fantham 1916; Macfie 1917; Parr 1923). Other studies (Mazza 1930) described the presence of spirochaetes in 9.8% of smears from the appendiceal lumen in patients suspected of having appendicitis, while Hurst and Vollum (1943) described a case of ulcerative colitis associated with Vincent’s organisms. More extensive studies by Shera (1953, 1962) reported 52 patients in whom Vincent’s organisms in faecal smears were associated with colonic symptoms and characteristic sigmoidoscopic appearances described as ‘strawberry lesions’. A similar case was described by Thomas (1956), but no further reports have appeared. Bacteriological culture and further characterisation of the spirochaetes was unsuccessful or incomplete in these early reports, making it difficult to compare the micro-organisms involved.

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Authors
  1. P. S. Teglbjærg
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, University of Wales, CF4 4XN, Cardiff, UK

    Geraint T. Williams B. Sc., M. D., M. R. C. P., M. R. C. Path.,

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Teglbjærg, P.S. (1990). Intestinal Spirochaetosis. In: Williams, G.T. (eds) Gastrointestinal Pathology. Current Topics in Pathology, vol 81. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74662-8_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74662-8_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-74664-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-74662-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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