Abstract

An ulcerative colitis case diagnosed at age 79 with the symptoms of diarrhea and acute kidney failure

Author(s): Aslihan Dilara Demir

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the colon mucosa, which is accompanied by attacks. Its symptoms are rectal hemorrhage, abdominal pain, and tenesmus. However, unspecific symptoms can occur, such as fever, weight loss, and weakness. Most of them are at a young age. Also, 25-30% of patients apply to hospital with the complaints of tenesmus and mucus in case of rectal involvement. The paper presented a 79-year-old patient diagnosed with ulcerative colitis who apply to the hospital with the complaint of abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and vomiting without nausea and was hospitalized with anemia and acute renal failure.

Case: A 79-year-old male patient was admitted to our outpatient clinic with the complaint of abdominal pain, diarrhea, inability to eat or drink anything and loss of appetite. He had fluid feces without hemorrhage, which was 5-6 times a day for a week. It was not accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The patient with a loss of appetite for all kinds of food had not eaten or drunk anything since the last few days. No fever complaints. There were no significant features on his history other than benign prostatic hypertrophy. About 1 month ago, the patient who was admitted to our clinic due to weakness, and anemia underwent an erythrocyte suspension replacement, then a colonoscopy was requested for him. A physical examination showed only an increase in bowel sounds.

Conclusion: Patients with acute gastroenteritis who do not have good oral intake are frequently admitted to the hospital with acute renal failure. However, if a patient has anemia and diarrhea does not improve despite treatment, it should be remindful of inflammatory bowel diseases. Our case was slightly above the age at which inflammatory bowel diseases are often seen. It is important to consider inflammatory bowel diseases in case of anemia and diarrhea that do not respond to treatment in elderly patients for starting treatment early.