Microscopic Colitis

Overview

Physicians from Mayo Clinic have special expertise and extensive experience in diagnosis and treatment of microscopic colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases (diseases that cause inflammation of the intestines). Mayo is also active in research on microscopic colitis and can provide investigational drug therapy for patients who do not respond to standard medical therapy.

Diagnosis

Symptoms of microscopic colitis may include watery diarrhea without blood, abdominal cramping, weight loss, urgent bowel movements and stool leakage. Doctors will usually examine the colon with a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, but a biopsy is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Read more about microscopic colitis diagnosis.

Treatment Options

At Mayo Clinic, treatment of microscopic colitis follows a stepped approach, beginning with simple therapies and advancing to medications of gradually increasing strength only when necessary. Most patients respond to medication; surgery is rarely needed. Read more about microscopic colitis treatment options.

• Treatment in Arizona
• Treatment in Florida
• Treatment in Minnesota

About Microscopic Colitis

Microscopic colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that is not as severe as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Microscopic colitis has two types:

• Collagenous colitis: Inflammation is associated with a thick layer of protein (collagen) inside the lining of the colon.
• Lymphocytic colitis: Tissue samples show an increase of white blood cells (lymphocytes) between the cells that line the colon.

These are chronic, inflammatory conditions of the large intestine (the colon) that cause watery diarrhea and sometimes, abdominal pain. Approximately 10 percent of people who have chronic watery diarrhea have one of these conditions. The name microscopic colitis refers to the microscopic examination of the colon's cells that is required to confirm the diagnosis.

Both types of microscopic colitis occur most commonly in people in their 60s and 70s, although the conditions can occur at any age. Both conditions, particularly collagenous colitis, are more common in females.

Exposure to certain medications or other factors such as viruses, bacteria or toxins, are believed to cause microscopic colitis. These triggers may cause the immune system to attack healthy tissue in the colon wall, resulting in inflammation of the colon. Microscopic colitis is similar in many ways to ulcerative colitis. Unlike ulcerative colitis, however, it does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of developing colon cancer.

Read more at www.MayoClinic.com
(A service of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research).