Collagenous Colitis: A Clinicopathologic Correlation

KENNETH K. WANG, JEAN PERRAULT, HERSCHEL A. CARPENTER, KENNETH W. SCHROEDER, WILLIAM J. TREMAINE

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

85 Scopus citations

Abstract

Collagenous colitis is an unusual cause of chronic, watery diarrhea. To characterize this disease, we reviewed biopsy specimens and the clinical records of 17 patients (9 women and 8 men) with this diagnosis. Intermittent diarrhea with symptom-free intervals lasting years was found in 7 of the 17 patients. Two patients had incapacitating arthralgias, and nine had a mild weight loss. Collagen deposition beneath the surface epithelium formed a continuous layer in 11 but was discontinuous in 5 of the 16 patients who had undergone rectal or colonic biopsies at our institution. The thickness of the collagen band was variable (maximum, 93 μm). The symptoms of the patients did not correlate with the thickness of the collagen layer. Variability in collagen thickness may be related to disease phase and increases the need to obtain multiple biopsy specimens from the sigmoid colon and rectum. The optimal treatment for collagenous colitis is difficult to determine because three of six patients treated only symptomatically in our study had resolution of their diarrhea.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)665-671
Number of pages7
JournalMayo Clinic proceedings
Volume62
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - 1987

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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