What's the most likely diagnosis?

• 63 year old with diarrhea

1. Shock bowel
2. Ovarian carcinoma
3. C. difficile colitis
4. Small bowel obstruction
5. Crohn disease

Additional Image-CT of the pelvis

 

Additional Image

 

CT of the Pelvis

Answer:

 

3. C. difficile colitis (Pseudomembranous colitis)

 

 

More (Click Discussion Tab)

C. difficile colitis

General Considerations

• Characterized by pseudomembrane, a yellowish-white plaque seen on  the mucosa
• Usually involves colon, although small bowel can be involved
• Occurs primarily in hospitalized patients
  • Almost 20% of hospitalized patients acquire C difficile during hospitalization
• Occurs in adults, especially the elderly, more often than children
• Almost always secondary to antibiotic therapy with overgrowth of Clostridium difficile, a gram-positive, anaerobic bacillus normally present in about 2-3 % of healthy adults

More ...