Recurrent Clostridium difficile infections: The importance of the intestinal microbiota

Table 2 Clinical presentation of Clostridium difficile infections (adapted from[44])

	Clinical manifestations	Laboratory and imaging studies
C. difficile diarrhea	Diarrhea	Colonoscopy: unremarkable
	Abdominal pain
	+/- fever
C. difficile colitis	Diarrhea	Leukocytosis
	Abdominal pain	Colonoscopy: patchy or diffuse erythematous colitis without pseudomembranes
	Fever
Pseudomembranous colitis	Diarrhea	Leukocytosis
	Abdominal pain	Colonoscopy: pathognomonic pseudomembranes (yellow plaques 2-20 mm)
	Fever
Fulminant colitis	Profuse diarrhea or ileus	Leukocytosis (sometimes white blood cell count > 4 × 109/L)
	Abdominal pain	Elevated serum lactate
	Fever	Sigmoidoscopy: pseudomembranes
	+/- signs of shock	Abdominal computed tomography scanner: megacolon, +/- bowel perforation

C. difficile:Clostridium difficile.