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C-Diff terminal ileum thickening

How long does one have to go with untreated C-diff (Pseudomembranous colitis) to get thickening of the terminal ileum? I realize that everyone is different and that most C-diff cases are caught early and treated with no wall thickening, but have there been any studies on this? Also it is my understanding correct that performing an MRE on a patient with C-diff is not very common so there may be more cases with permanent ileum thickening that we don’t know about?

Thanks,
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Avatar universal
Hi Dr.

When you say temporary wall thickening, are you referring to patients that get C-Diff and are treated promptly? How long it take for the thickening to go back to normal (3 days, 3 months, 3 years)? Is the same true if you had Pseudomembranous colitis for 1 year or 2 years and was not treated? My understanding is Pseudomembranous colitis creates Inflammation which creates Swelling. The swelling can lead to permanent damage (scarring).

I googled "bowel wall thickening"
"When any tissue is exposed to infection or irritation inflammation occurs. Inflammation is the term used to describe the swelling of affected tissue. This swelling can lead to permanent damage such as scarring it if is left untreated for long periods of time"

Doesn’t it stand to reason that not treating this inflammation would cause permanent thickening?

Are there any know follow-up studies on patients to understand what kind of long term damage may have been done?

Thanks for helping me to understand.
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351246 tn?1379682132
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
Usually the time taken from acquisition of the disease to the symptom presentation is just 5-7 days. A pseudo membrane can form in this time. In some cases prompt treatment prevents formation of the pseudo membrane. In other cases there is recurrent infection causing thickening of the gut. Pseudo membrane formation can also cause temporary gut wall thickening. Hope this helps. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.
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