A Case of Rifampicin Induced Pseudomembranous Colitis

Rifampicin에 의한 위막성 대장염 1예

Pseudomembranous colitis, although uncommon, is an important complication of antibiotics that is related to a variety of deleterious effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Rifampicin is one of the 1st line agents in the treatment of tuberculosis and a large number of patients are exposed to its potential adverse effects. We report upon a patient that had diarrhea due to pseudomembranous colitis after receiving antitubeculous medication, and which was probably caused by rifampicin. A 77-year-old man was admitted with diarrhea of three weeks duration. One month previously, he suffered from left pleuritic chest pain and left pleural effusion was noticed at chest X-ray. One week prior to the onset of diarrhea, he was started on empirically isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol and pyrazynamide as antituberculous medication. On admission, he complained of diarrhea, left pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea and sputum. On physical examination, breathing sound was decreased in the left lower lung field and bowel sound increased. Pleural biopsy revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation, which was compatible with tuberculosis, Sigmoidoscopy showed whitish to yellowish pseudomembrane with intervening normal mucosa, and his stool was positive for C.difficle toxin. He was diagnosed as pseudomembranous colitis and treated with oral metronidazole and vancomycin. The diarrhea did not recur after reinstitution of the anti-tuberculous medication without rifampicin inpatients with severe diarrhea receiving anti-tuberculous medication, rifampicin induced pseudomembranous colitis should be excluded.

저자들은 항결핵제중 rifampicin 사용 후 발생한 위막성 대장염 1예를 경험 하였기에 보고하는 바이며 전신상태가 좋지 않거나 간질환이 있는 고령의 환자에서 항결핵제 사용 중 심한 설사가 있을 때 이의 가능성을 생각해야 되며 필요한 경우 조기에 진단적 검사를 시행해야 한다고 생각된다.