Diagnóstico y manejo de la colitis microscópica / Diagnosis and management of microscopic colitis

Microscopic colitis (MC) is a clinical condition characterized by chronic watery diarrhea, normal colonic mucosa and characteristic histological findings. It is composed of two main entities: collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC). Its incidence has been increasing, currently accounting for between 8 to 16% of studies for chronic diarrhea. It is more frequent in elderly women and is strongly associated with other autoimmune disorders. Its pathogenesis is not very well understood, but it supposes the immune activation secondary to the exposure of the colonic mucosa to different luminal antigens, mainly drugs. Management includes suspension of the potential causative agent and the use of anti-diarrheal medications. Oral budesonide has proven to be effective in induction and maintenance of remission, but with a high rate of recurrence upon discontinuation. Immune-modulators drugs such as azatioprine and metrotrexate have been tested in patients dependent to corticoids with variable results. Antibodies against tumor necrosis factors (TNF) are under studies, with promising results.

La colitis microscópica (CM) es una condición clínica caracterizada por diarrea crónica acuosa con mucosa colónica normal y hallazgos histológicos característicos. Está compuesta por dos entidades principales: la colitis colágena (CC) y la colitis linfocítica (CL). Su incidencia ha ido en aumento, siendo en la actualidad la responsable del 8 a 16% de los casos por diarrea crónica. Es más frecuente en mujeres de edad avanzada con una fuerte asociación a otras enfermedades autoinmunes. Su etiopatogenia no es del todo conocida, pero se cree juega un rol la activación inmune secundaria a la exposición de la mucosa colónica a diferentes antígenos luminales, principalmente fármacos. Dentro del manejo se incluye la suspensión del potencial agente causal y el uso de fármacos antidiarreicos. La budesonida oral ha demostrado alta efectividad en la inducción y mantención de la remisión, pero con una alta tasa de recurrencia al suspenderla. Fármacos inmunomoduladores como azatioprina y metrotrexato se han probado en pacientes corticodependendientes con resultados variables. El uso de anticuerpos monoclonales anti factor de necrosis tumoral (TNF) se encuentra en estudio, con resultados prometedores.

Gastritis colágena: presentación de un caso clínico y revisión de la literatura / Collagenous gastritis: presentation of a clinical case and review of the literature

Collagenous gastritis (CG) is an exceptional disease characterized by the deposition of subepithelial collagen band thicker than 10 tm in association with increased inflammatory cell infiltrate of the lamina propria. These histological features seem to overlap with other "collagenous enterocolitides". The pathogenesis and prognosis of CG still remains unclear. CG presentation is seen completely different in two major subsets of patients, children and adults. We report a 38 year-old man with abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea. The upper endoscopy showed a severe gastritis with biopsies that revealed CG, and the colonoscopy was normal with biopsies indicative of collagenous colitis. This characteristic form of clinical presentation in adult patients suggests that subepithelial collagen deposition may be a generalized disease affecting different areas of the gastrointestinal tract. The patient was treated with proton-pump-inhibitors and budesonide, with clinical improvement.

La gastritis colágena (GC) es una enfermedad poco frecuente caracterizada por el depósito subepitelial de colágeno de grosor mayor de 10 um asociado a infiltrado inflamatorio en la lámina propia. Estos hallazgos histológicos son similares a los encontrados en la enterocolitis colágena. La patogénesis y pronóstico de la GC permanece aún desconocida. La presentación clínica de la GC se observa de manera diferente en dos subgrupos de pacientes, niños y adultos. Se presenta el caso de un hombre de 38 años con dolor abdominal y diarrea crónica. La endoscopia digestiva alta mostró una gastritis severa con biopsias que revelaron la presencia de GC y la colonoscopia fue normal con biopsias que mostraron una colitis colágena. Esta forma de presentación clínica en el paciente adulto sugiere que el depósito de colágena subepitelial corresponde a una enfermedad generalizada que puede afectar a diferentes áreas del tracto gastrointestinal. El paciente fue tratado con inhibidores de la bomba de protones y budesonida con mejoría clínica.

[ epidemiologic study of microscopic colitis in a university related clinic]

Microscopic colitis has been generally recognized as lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis: two inflammatory diseases of large intestine without a definite origin. The colon appears normal by colonoscopy. So, biopsy of the colonic mucosa is mandatory for diagnosis. As a descriptive design we assessed epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings of patients diagnosed as microscopic colitis from 2001 to 2003, retrospectively. This study had been conducted in one of the University related clinics in Tehran. Results: In this setting, 12 patients were diagnosed as microscopic colitis [3 collagenous colitis, and 9 lymphocytic colitis]. Most of these patients were female [11 patients]. The average of the patients' age at the time of the diagnosis was: 47.6 +/- 18.1 years. The delay of diagnosis was distributed from 2 months to 27 years [average: 8 years]. The most prominent complaint was diarrhea [100%]. Most of the cases were presented as a chronic intermittent manner [6 patients- 50%]. Hyperthyroidism, atrophic gastritis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus, each of them were detected in 3 separate patients. After treatment initiation, recurrence of the disease was not seen during 2 years of follow-up. Most of the time, microscopic colitis is mis-diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. Clinical suspicion plays the main role in diagnosis of microscopic colitis cases among patients with watery diarrhea and normal colonoscopy