Intestinal vasculitis and lithium carbonate-associated diarrhoea.

A 57-year-old male manic depressive patient is described who presented as an ‘acute abdomen’ whilst receiving treatment with lithium carbonate. Small bowel resection was performed, the histopathology of which revealed local vasculitic changes with thrombosis and subsequent infarction of the ileal wall. The possible aetiological role of lithium in this vasculitis is discussed.