Ultrasound Findings of Clostridium difficile Infection and Its Induced Pseudomembranous Colitis in Children: Review of the Literature With Image Illustration

Clostridium difficile (CD) causes various conditions in pediatric patients, ranging from asymptomatic colonization to severe colitis that can progress to pseudomembranous colitis (PMC). Appropriate antibiotic treatment is important to prevent catastrophic outcomes. This review article describes the ultrasound findings of various patterns of CD infection. Bowel wall thickening, bowel internal ring, bowel external ring, and ascites were more frequently detected in cases with CD infection. Furthermore, PMC cases showed marked thickening of the entire colon, mucus-entrapped overlying pseudomembranes, and colonic fluid entrapment within the colonic lumen. The extent of these findings may be attributable to the severity of PMC.