[Phlegmonous enteritis--a rare cause of acute abdomen].

A 73 year old woman presenting with an acute abdomen was diagnosed as having phlegmonous enteritis after microscopic examination revealed the characteristic finding of a diffuse suppurative inflammation limited to the submucosa in the resected ileal segment. Culture of Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the microscopic demonstration of gram positive cocci and gram negative rods confirmed the bacterial etiology of this disease. There was no evidence of mucosal injury in this patient, but the possible role of ischemia secondary to atherosclerotic vascular disease cannot be assessed. Because of the associated high morbidity and mortality, phlegmonous enteritis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen.