Yersinia pseudotuberculosis commonly manifests as which clinical condition?

• A. Epiglottitis
• B. Hepatitis
• C. Mesenteric lymphadenitis
• D. Pseudomembranous colitis

Answer: (C)

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis most commonly presents as mesenteric lymphadenitis, producing abdominal pain and fever that often mimic appendicitis. The bacteria tend to invade lymphoid tissue in the gut, especially Peyer’s patches, and spread to the mesenteric lymph nodes, leading to swollen, inflamed nodes and sometimes ileitis. This can create a clinical picture of “pseudoappendicitis” where the pain is in the right lower quadrant but the appendix is not the primary problem. Exposure typically occurs via ingestion of contaminated food or water, with zoonotic transmission linked to animals and foods such as pork products in some regions.

Epiglottitis, while possible from various pathogens, is an airway inflammation causing sore throat, drooling, and respiratory distress rather than mesenteric lymph node inflammation. Hepatitis would present with liver-related signs like jaundice and elevated liver enzymes, not localized mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Pseudomembranous colitis is characteristically antibiotic-associated diarrhea due to Clostridioides difficile, with colon involvement rather than mesenteric lymphadenitis.