Posts Tagged ‘Microscope’

Microscopic Colitis

05.14.10

Microscopic colitis refers to inflammation of the colon that is only visible when the colon’s lining is examined under a microscope. The appearance of the inner colon lining in microscopic colitis is normal by visual inspection during colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy.

The diagnosis of microscopic colitis is made when a doctor, while performing colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, takes biopsies (small samples of tissue) of the normal-appearing lining, and then examines the biopsies under a microscope. There are two types of microscopic colitis; lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis. In lymphocytic colitis, there is an accumulation of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) within the lining of the colon.

In collagenous colitis, there is an additional layer of collagen (scar tissue) just below the lining. Some experts believe that lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis represent different stages of the same disease. The inflammation and the collagen probably interfere with absorption of water from the colon, and cause the diarrhea. The primary symptom of microscopic colitis is chronic, watery diarrhea. Patients with microscopic colitis can have diarrhea for months or years before the diagnosis is made.

This chronic diarrhea of microscopic colitis is different from the acute diarrhea of infectious colitis, which typically lasts only days to weeks. Some patients with microscopic colitis also may report mild abdominal cramps and pain. Blood in the stool is unusual. The prevalence of microscopic colitis in the U.S. is not clearly known.

It is estimated that 10-20% of patients with chronic diarrhea may have microscopic colitis. It is this author’s experience, that the condition is becoming more common in recent years. It is not clear, however, whether there is an actual increase in the frequency of microscopic colitis or whether doctors are just better at diagnosing it.

Microscopic colitis most commonly occurs in middle aged to elderly patients and is more common among women than men. The cause(s) of microscopic colitis is unknown. Some doctors suspect that microscopic colitis is an autoimmune disorder similar to the autoimmune disorders that cause chronic ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease.

The diagnosis of microscopic colitis is made by performing biopsies from different regions of the colon during colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. The abnormalities of the colon’s lining in microscopic colitis occur in a patchy distribution (areas of normal lining may exist adjacent to areas of abnormal lining).

For this reason, multiple biopsies should be taken from several different regions of the colon in order to accurately make a diagnosis. The patchy nature of microscopic colitis also is the reason why flexible sigmoidoscopy often is inadequate in diagnosing the condition because the abnormalities of microscopic colitis may be absent from the sigmoid colon (the colonic segment that is closest to the rectum and is within the reach of a sigmoidoscope) in 30-40% of the patients with microscopic colitis.

Thus, biopsies of other regions of the colon accessible only with colonoscopy may be necessary for diagnosing microscopic colitis.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

Crohns Disease Prognosis

12.09.09

Crohn’s disease is a life-long illness. The severity of the disease can vary, and a patient can experience periods of time when the disease is not active and he or she is symptom free. However, the complications and risks of Crohn’s disease tend to increase over time. Well over 60% of all patients with Crohn’s disease will require surgery, and about half of these patients will require more than one operation over time. About 5-10% of all Crohn’s patients will die of their disease, primarily due to massive infection.

Endoscope
A medical instrument that can be passed into an area of the body (the bladder or intestine, for example) to allow examination of that area. The endoscope usually has a fiber-optic camera that allows a greatly magnified image to be shown on a television screen viewed by the operator. Many endoscopes also allow the operator to retrieve a small sample (biopsy) of the area being examined, to more closely view the tissue under a microscope.

Fistule
An abnormal channel that creates an open passageway between two structures that do not normally connect.

Gastrointestinal tract
The entire length of the digestive system, running from the stomach, through the small intestine, large intestine, and out the rectum and anus.

Immune system
The body system responsible for producing various cells and chemicals that fight infection by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other foreign invaders. In autoimmune disease, these cells and chemicals turn against the body itself.

Inflammation
The result of the body’s attempts to fight off and wall off an area that is infected. Inflammation results in the classic signs of redness, heat, swelling, and loss of function.

Obstruction
A blockage.

Ulceration
A pitted area or break in the continuity of a surface such as skin or mucous membrane.

Some people have long periods of remission, sometimes years, when they are free of symptoms. However, the disease usually recurs at various times over a person’s lifetime. This changing pattern of the disease means one cannot always tell when a treatment has helped. Predicting when a remission may occur or when symptoms will return is not possible.)

People with Crohn’s disease may feel well and be free of symptoms for substantial spans of time when their disease is not active. Despite the need to take medication for long periods of time and occasional hospitalizations, most people with Crohn’s disease are able to hold jobs, raise families, and function successfully at home and in society

Crohns Disease Prognosis

08.05.09

Crohns disease is a life-long illness. The severity of the disease can vary, and a patient can experience periods of time when the disease is not active and he or she is symptom free. However, the complications and risks of Crohns disease tend to increase over time. Well over 60% of all patients with Crohns disease will require surgery, and about half of these patients will require more than one operation over time. About 5-10% of all Crohn’s patients will die of their disease, primarily due to massive infection.

Endoscope
A medical instrument that can be passed into an area of the body (the bladder or intestine, for example) to allow examination of that area. The endoscope usually has a fiber-optic camera that allows a greatly magnified image to be shown on a television screen viewed by the operator. Many endoscopes also allow the operator to retrieve a small sample (biopsy) of the area being examined, to more closely view the tissue under a microscope.

Fistule
An abnormal channel that creates an open passageway between two structures that do not normally connect.

Gastrointestinal tract
The entire length of the digestive system, running from the stomach, through the small intestine, large intestine, and out the rectum and anus.

Immune system
The body system responsible for producing various cells and chemicals that fight infection by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other foreign invaders. In autoimmune disease, these cells and chemicals turn against the body itself.

Inflammation
The result of the body’s attempts to fight off and wall off an area that is infected. Inflammation results in the classic signs of redness, heat, swelling, and loss of function.

Obstruction
A blockage.

Ulceration
A pitted area or break in the continuity of a surface such as skin or mucous membrane.

Some people have long periods of remission, sometimes years, when they are free of symptoms. However, the disease usually recurs at various times over a person’s lifetime. This changing pattern of the disease means one cannot always tell when a treatment has helped. Predicting when a remission may occur or when symptoms will return is not possible.)

People with Crohns disease may feel well and be free of symptoms for substantial spans of time when their disease is not active. Despite the need to take medication for long periods of time and occasional hospitalizations, most people with Crohns disease are able to hold jobs, raise families, and function successfully at home and in society.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)