Clostridium difficile colitis; Prospective study in 45 autopsy cases

Prospective bacteriological and pathological study of Clostridium difficile colitis was performed on 45 autopsy cases. C. difficile was found in the contents of the sigmoid colon in 17 cases (37.8%). 4 of 17 cases showed watery diarrhea before death. 10 of 17 cases revealed characteristic 'pseudomembranous lesion' in the colon. No 'pseudomembranous lesion' was observed in the cases of C. difficile-negative. The histological figures of 'pseudomembranous lesion' in this study were similar to previously mentioned figures of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis. Cytomegalovirus infection, fungal infection, and other non-pseudomembranous colitis accompanied in 5 cases. 4 cases of C. difficile-positive had normal colon. This study was a rare series of the prospective data of C. difficile in autopsy cases.