title: [Microscopic colitis - review].
abstract: Microscopic colitis (MC) is an encompassing term for two diseases; collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. The colon appears normal by colonoscopy and a diagnosis is only obtained with a biopsy. The histopathology of collagenous colitis is mainly characterized by a thickening of the subepithelial basement membrane of the colonic mucosa with a band of collagen. Lymphocytic colitis is mainly characterized by an intraepithelial lymphocytosis without the collagen thickening. Even though the two diseases have a distinctive pathology their clinical symptoms are characterized by chronic watery diarrhea without bleeding. Microscopic colitis is thought to cause about 4-13% of all chronic diarrhea but their relative frequency is much higher among older people. The mean annual incidence for collagenous and lymphocytic colitis has been increasing. Steroids are the most effective treatment for microscopic colitis and budesonide is the most studied and effective therapy for MC. The aim of this paper is to give a review of two relatively new diseases which are among the most common cause of chronic diarrhea, especially among older people.
authors.affiliation: Meltingarsjúkdómadeild Landspitala, Islands.
authors.forename: Olafur A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Sveinsson
authors.forename: Kjartan B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Orvar
authors.forename: Sigurbjorn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Birgisson
authors.forename: Jon Gunnlaugur
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jonasson
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001706:Biopsy; D019819:Budesonide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D046728:Colitis, Microscopic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D019819:Budesonide