Cronkhite-Canada syndrome is a rare disease characterised by diffuse polyposis of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhoea, weight loss, abdominal pain, cutaneous hyperpigmentation, dystrophic changes of fingernails, and alopecia. The etiology is probably autoimmune and diagnosis is based on history, physical examination, endoscopic findings of gastrointestinal polyposis, and histology. The disease is very rare; about 450 cases have been described in the literature so far. We present a review of the literature with our own picture documentation of this rare condition.

Whipple's disease is a chronic infectious systemic disease caused by the bacterium Tropheryma whipplei. Nondeforming arthritis is frequently an initial complaint. Gastrointestinal and general symptoms include marked diarrhoea (with serious malabsorption), abdominal pain, prominent weight loss, and low-grade fever. Possible neurologic symptoms (up to 20%) might be associated with worse prognosis. Diagnosis is based on the clinical picture and small intestinal histology revealing foamy macrophages containing periodic-acid-Schiff- (PAS-) positive material. Long-term (up to one year) antibiotic therapy provides a favourable outcome in the vast majority of cases. This paper provides review of the literature and an analysis of our 5 patients recorded within a 20-year period at a tertiary gastroenterology centre. Patients were treated using i.v. penicillin G or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid + i.v. gentamicin for two weeks, followed by p.o. doxycycline (100 mg per day) plus p.o. salazopyrine (3 g per day) for 1 year. Full remission was achieved in all our patients.

IntroductionCryptogenic multifocal ulcerous stenosing enteritis (CMUSE) is a rare condition characterised by chronic or relapsing moderate ileous episodes resulting from multiple small intestinal strictures, multiple shallow ulcers of the small bowel and beneficial therapeutical effect of glucocorticosteroids (1, 2). Japanese gastroenterologists call this syndrome chronic non-specific multiple ulcers of the small intestine (CNSU) (3). The aetiology of CMUSE has not been clarified yet and pathogenesis is still poorly understood. Some authors even doubt the real existence of this entity.Patients with CMUSE are often referred for surgery because of symptomatic small intestinal strictures and several resections of the small bowel had to be performed.We report three cases of CMUSE diagnosed within the past 10 years at a single tertiary centre, where more than eight thousand GI endoscopies are performed per year. Review of available relevant literature is provided. Case reports Case 1A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our department because of chronic diarrhoea, colicky abdominal pain, weight loss (16 kg during previous five years) and repeated moderate ileous episodes. She was cachectic (body-mass index 12.8 kg/m 2 ). Laboratory tests showed iron-deficiency anaemia (haemoglobin 96 g/L), thrombocytosis (459.10 9 g/L) and proteino-energy malnutrition (serum prealbumin 0.17 g/L). Abdominal ultrasound revealed strenuous small intestinal peristalsis and a large volume of fluid in the intestinal loops. Enteroclysis provided no further information. Gastroscopy and colonoscopy were normal. Push-enteroscopy found multiple shallow ulcers of the distal duodenum and proximal jejunum ( Fig. 1) and increased stagnant fluid content in the proximal part of the small bowel. A non-specific inflammatory process was detected at histology and electron microscopy of small intestinal biopsy specimens. Coeliac disease, lymphoma, Crohn's disease and vasculitis were excluded. No infective agent was found. Total parenteral nutrition and glucocorticosteroids improved her general condition including nutritional status (serum albumin 35.8 g/L, prealbumin 0.29 g/L, body-mass index 13.4 kg/m 2 ). The patient was discharged on enteral nutrition, glucocorticosteroids (prednisone was gradually replaced by budesonide) and 5-aminosalicylates. She was followed-up at regular controls. Nine months later the patient had to be admitted because of a worsened general condition (frequent watery stools, fatigue, oedemas of lower extremities, fluidothorax and ascites). Laboratory tests revealed hypo-25 CASE REPORT Summary: Cryptogenic multifocal ulcerous stenosing enteritis (CMUSE) is a rare condition characterised by chronic or relapsing moderate ileous episodes resulting from multiple small intestinal strictures, multiple shallow ulcers of the small bowel and favourable therapeutical effect of glucocorticosteroids. The aim of this paper was to evaluate three cases of CMUSE diagnosed within 10 years at a tertiary gastroenterology centre. Three females (35, 50, ...