Colorectal normal histology and histopathologic findings in patients with chronic diarrhea.
Collagenous and lymphocytic colitis are common causes of chronic watery diarrhea that are characterized by distinct histopathologic abnormalities without endoscopically visible lesions and are summarized as microscopic colitis. Several variants of microscopic colitis have been described, although their clinical significance still has to be defined. Preserved mucosal architecture is a histologic hallmark of microscopic colitis and distinguishes the disease from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In addition to architectural abnormalities, the diagnosis of IBD rests on characteristic inflammatory changes. Differential diagnosis of IBD mainly includes prolonged infection and diverticular disease-associated colitis, also known as segmental colitis associated with diverticulosis.
Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Austria. cord.langner@medunigraz.at
Cord
C
Langner
D000465:Algorithms; D001706:Biopsy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D046728:Colitis, Microscopic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology*; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology
D003094:Collagen