I am looking for information on cecitis. All I know is that it is either a bacterial or viral infection in the cecum. Is there more to it than that? Can it recur, and how long is the usual recovery rate?

I.

Cecitis refers to an inflammatory disease involving part of the large intestine called the cecum. The condition, also referred to as typhilitis, occurs most commonly in cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy and have low white-blood-cell counts, thus predisposing them to infection. Typhilitis is also seen in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy for organ transplants and in patients with AIDS.

In typhilitis, bacteria invade the lining of the cecum and can penetrate through its wall because of the lack of the body's immune response. Patients with typhilitis complain of abdominal pain, especially in the lower right side, associated with fever and often diarrhea. The diagnosis is usually suspected in patients who have the risk factors mentioned. X-rays of the abdomen may aid in the diagnosis, but frequently a CT scan is done to better evaluate the cecum.

When the diagnosis is considered, antibiotics active against a broad spectrum of bacteria are given. In some cases, fungal infection can also be involved in typhilitis, and antifungal agents are given. Typhilitis can become complicated if the bacteria invade through the wall of the cecum and/or abscesses form in the abdomen. In such cases, surgical intervention may be needed to clear the infection and remove the diseased portion of the colon.

An important part of the therapy in typhilitis is to increase the white-blood-cell count to improve the body's ability to fight infection. In cancer patients who have recovered from a bout of typhilitis and who need to undergo more chemotherapy in the future, a recommendation to electively remove the cecum and right colon is sometimes made to prevent further episodes of typhilitis. Close monitoring by physicians, who may include an oncologist or infectious-disease specialist, is important during the course of the infection and recovery period.