title: Brown bowel syndrome.
abstract: The brown bowel syndrome (BBS) is a rare disease characterized by malabsorption and accumulation of lipofuscin in the smooth muscle cells of the muscularis externa of the small intestine. Recently, we incidentally observed a case of BBS in a colon operated on because of a neoplasm. Our ultrastructural investigation, which demonstrated changes in the mitochondria, further supports the significance of mitochondrial damage in BBS.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001201:Ascites; D003106:Colon / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012809:Colon, Sigmoid / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008062:Lipofuscin / Q000032:analysis*; D008286:Malabsorption Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D008931:Mitochondria, Muscle / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000032:analysis; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis*; D012811:Sigmoid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D008062:Lipofuscin; D010860:Pigments, Biological