ABSTRACT
Diagnosis The definitive determination of the etiology underlying enteritis and colitis can be challenging. For some syndromes, such as duodenitis-proximal jejunitis, no definitive etiologic agent has been identified, requiring that diagnosis be based on clinical signs and non-specific clinicopathologic abnormalities. Additional diagnostic uncertainty in regard to enteritis and colitis is caused by the low sensitivity of some of the diagnostic tests available, such as fecal culture for Salmonella spp. organisms. In cases where a definitive diagnosis can be made, the results may not be available for several days to weeks, requiring that decisions regarding treatment be made on an empiric basis. Despite these shortcomings, definitive diagnostic information can be of great utility in some cases in allowing more appropriate therapeutic intervention and accurate prognostication. Ultimately, obtaining a definitive diagnosis is of most importance when dealing with potentially infectious agents, in order to minimize the risk of dissemination of the disease throughout a farm or hospital population.
