Prevalence of microscopic colitis in patients with diarrhea of unknown etiology in Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence and demography of microscopic colitis in patients with diarrhea of unknown etiology and normal colonoscopy in Turkey.


METHODS
Between March, 1998 to July, 2005, 129 patients with chronic non-bloody diarrhea of unexplained etiology who had undergone full colonoscopy with no obvious abnormalities were included in the study. Two biopsies were obtained from all colonic segments and terminal ileum for diagnosis of microscopic colitis. On histopathologic examination, criteria for lymphocytic colitis (intraepithelial lymphocyte >or= 20 per 100 intercryptal epithelial cells, change in surface epithelium, mononuclear infiltration of the lamina propria) and collagenous colitis (subepithelial collagen band thickness >or= 10 microm) were explored.


RESULTS
Lymphocytic colitis was diagnosed in 12 (9%) patients (Female/Male: 7/5, mean age: 45 year, range: 27-63) and collagenous colitis was diagnosed in only 3 (2.5%) patients (all female, mean age: 60 years, range: 54-65).


CONCLUSIONS
Biopsy of Turkish patients with the diagnosis of chronic non-bloody diarrhea of unexplained etiology and normal colonoscopic findings will reveal microscopic colitis in approximately 10% of the patients. Lymphocytic colitis is 4 times more frequent than collagenous colitis in these patients.
Erdem
Levent
L
Department of Gastroenterology, Sisli Etfal Teaching and Research Hospital, Istanbul 34381, Turkey. leventerdem2003@yahoo.com
Yildirim
Sadik
S
Akbayir
Nihat
N
Yilmaz
Banu
B
Yenice
Necati
N
Gultekin
Orhan-Sami
OS
Peker
Onder
O
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D046728:Colitis, Microscopic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey