대한대장항문학회

A coffee enema, which has been suggested as a part of cancer treatment, is a hazardous derivative of colon therapy and has been misused as a treatment for obesity and constipation among the general population. Its proponents claim that caffeine is absorbed in the colon and leads to vasodilatation in the liver, which in turn enhances the process of elimination of toxins. None of this is proven, nor is there any evidence for the clinical efficacy of coffee enemas. We experienced a patient who presented with abdominal pain and bloody stool after receiving a coffee enema to relieve constipation. We report this case of coffee-associated colitis with a review of the relevant literature.