Microscopic colitis
| Microscopic colitis | |
|---|---|
| Micrograph of collagenous colitis, a type of microscopic colitis. H&E stain. | |
| Specialty | Gastroenterology |
| Symptoms | Persistent diarrhea |
| Types | Lymphocytic colitis, collagenous colitis |
| Diagnostic method | Endoscopic biopsy of colonic mucosa |
| Differential diagnosis | Bile acid diarrhea, celiac disease, lactose malabsorption, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, infectious colitis |
| Medication | Loperamide, Bismuth subsalicylate, Budesonide |
| Frequency | 103 cases per 100,000 persons |
Microscopic colitis refers to two related medical conditions which cause diarrhea: collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. Both conditions are characterized by the presence of chronic non-bloody watery diarrhea, normal appearances on colonoscopy and characteristic histopathology findings of inflammatory cells.