[Microscopic colitis]

Abstract

Microscopic colitis is characterized by chronic or intermittent watery diarrhoea. Microscopic colitis is a common cause of chronic diarrhoea in predominantly older adults. The underlying mechanism in the pathogenesis of microscopic colitis remains unspecified. Microscopic colitis including colitis collagenous, lymphocytic, microscopic colitis with incomplete findings, minimal change colitis, eosinophilic colitis, Brainerd´s diarrhoea, graft-versus-host disease, mastocytic enterocolitis and postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome. Careful consideration of the clinical features and colonic mucosal biopsies usually lead to correct diagnosis. Treatments of microscopic colitis were based primarily on case reports and personal experience. Many medications have been proposed that either offer symptomatic relief (loperamide, cholestyramine) or had anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive properties (aminosalicylates, steroids, adalimumab, azathioprine).