Proctitis and constipation: A symptom of food allergy?

Allergic proctitis can occur in infants and children. It is expressed by feces streaked with blood without other apparent signs. More than 50% of these patients are being breast-fed. Recently, it has been found that a particular symptom of allergic proctitis is constipation, and it is a major cause of consultations in pediatric gastroenterology departments. We carried out a study, which included a series of patients who were seen for chronic constipation that had not responded to the usual therapy. We found that the majority of these patients had a reduction in the layer of mucus coating the rectum, and this sign was associated with intolerance to cow's milk protein and also to other foods. In patients suffering from chronic constipation associated with proctitis due to food intolerance, reduction in the rectal mucus coating can be considered to be one of the characteristic factors in the pathogenesis of the patient's constipation.