title: Colitides.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This Review provides an overview of the pathophysiology, epidemiology, histopathology, clinical characteristics of non-IBD forms of colitis over than some preliminary therapeutic evidences.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The term "Colitides" includes a variety of inflammatory diseases of the colon. These forms of colitis occur as either primary conditions or complications of other diseases. The etiopathogenesis of most of them remains obscure and the epidemiological data are rather limited. Clinical presentations include chronic, watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and intermittent rectal bleeding. Endoscopic evaluation and mucosal biopsy are essential to confirm the diagnosis and to exclude IBD-associated colitis. These diseases include microscopic colitis, ischemic colitis, segmental colitis associated with diverticula, radiation colitis, diversion colitis, eosinophilic colitis and Behcet's colitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In many cases the treatment is empirical and often the therapy and outcome depend on the severity of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tortora
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Purchiaroni
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scarpellini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ojetti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giovanni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003092:Colitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans