A CASE OF BROWN BOWEL SYNDROME ASSOCIATED WITH BLIND LOOP SYNDROME

Brown bowel syndrome is a pathological conception called after an observation that the bowel colors brown at laparotomy. This very rare case was encountered. A 50-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of numness of the lip and extremities associating with anemia and edema which developed since 2 years before. Decolorization and loss of hair, dermatitis on the face, and clubbed finger were also observed. There was a history of unfergoing total gastrectomy and pancreatosplenectomy for gastric cancer 7 years before. Gastrointestinal series, CT, and scintigraphy led to a diagnosis of blind loop syndrome, and operation was performed. On laparotomy the bowel colored brown and no signs of recurrence of the cancer were found, blind pouch being removed. Histological examination revealed numerous deposits of lipofuscin in the proper muscular tunics. The patient was diagnosed as brown bowel syndrome. Vitamin E deficiency can be a probable etiology of this disease, and in this case administration of vitamin E yielded symptomatic remission. The patient recovers her strength and is attending the hospital as an outpatient.