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Comparative Study
. 2011 Nov-Dec;17(6):383-6.
doi: 10.4103/1319-3767.87178.

Prevalence of microscopic colitis in patients with chronic diarrhea in Egypt: a single-center study

Ahmed S Gado  1 , Basel A Ebeid, Ali A El Hindawi, Maha M Akl, Anthony T Axon
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Prevalence of microscopic colitis in patients with chronic diarrhea in Egypt: a single-center study

Ahmed S Gado et al. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2011 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background/aim: Microscopic colitis (MC) is diagnosed when a patient with chronic watery non-bloody diarrhea (CWND) has an endoscopically normal colon, but colonic biopsies show unique inflammatory changes characteristic of lymphocytic or collagenous colitis. MC is a disorder of unknown etiology. Studies comparing the prevalence of the disease in developing countries as compared to developed countries may shed more light on the possibility of a post-infectious etiology. Most data on the incidence and prevalence of MC are from developed countries where it accounts for 4-13% of cases of CWND. There are only a few reports from developing countries. Two studies from Peru and Tunis, with high prevalence of infectious gastroenteritis, revealed MC in 40% and 29.3% of cases of CWND, respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of MC in patients presenting with CWND in Egypt.

Materials and methods: A total of 44 patients with CWND of unexplained etiology who had undergone full colonoscopy with no macroscopic abnormalities between January 2000 and January 2010 were assessed retrospectively.

Results: The histological appearance of MC was identified in 22 (50%) patients. Twelve (55%) patients were male and 10 (45%) female. Mean age was 40 years (range: 20-65 years). Twenty (91%) of MC cases had lymphocytic colitis and 2 (9%) had collagenous colitis.

Conclusions: The prevalence of MC in Egyptian patients with CWND is high when compared to that in developed countries. MC mainly affects young and middle-aged patients and it is more commonly of the lymphocytic type.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A case of lymphocytic colitis showing marked increase of lymphocytes within the lamina. H and E stain, ×100
Figure 2
Figure 2
A view of the previous case of lymphocytic colitis showing the lymphocytes invading the crypts; H and E, stain ×200
Figure 3
Figure 3
A case of lymphocytic colitis showing early superficial collagenous deposition; Masson's Trichrome stain ×100
Figure 4
Figure 4
A view of a case of early collagenous colitis showing a superficial mucosal band of deposited collagen; Masson's Trichrome stain ×200
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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