Towards a new paradigm of microscopic colitis: Incomplete and variant forms.

Microscopic colitis (MC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that has emerged in the last three decades as a leading cause of chronic watery diarrhoea. MC classically includes two main subtypes: lymphocytic colitis (LC) and collagenous colitis (CC). Other types of histopathological changes in the colonic mucosa have been described in patients with chronic diarrhoea, without fulfilling the conventional histopathological criteria for MC diagnosis. Whereas those unclassified alterations remained orphan for a long time, the use of the term incomplete MC (MCi) is nowadays universally accepted. However, it is still unresolved whether CC, LC and MCi should be considered as one clinical entity or if they represent three related conditions. In contrast to classical MC, the real epidemiological impact of MCi remains unknown, because only few epidemiological studies and case reports have been described. MCi presents clinical characteristics indistinguishable from complete MC with a good response to budesonide and cholestiramine. Although a number of medical treatments have been assayed in MC patients, currently, there is no causal treatment approach for MC and MCi, and only empirical strategies have been performed. Further studies are needed in order to identify their etiopathogenic mechanisms, and to better classify and treat MC.

Observer variability in the histopathologic diagnosis of microscopic colitis and subgroups.

The diagnosis of microscopic colitis (MC) is based on histologic findings and includes collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC). Incomplete MC (MCi) denotes patients with chronic diarrhea and a normal endoscopy and morphological changes that do not completely meet the histologic criteria of LC or CC. The aim of this study was to investigate the intraobserver and interobserver agreement on the MC subtypes of CC, LC, and MCi and the ability to discriminate MCi from normal and inflammatory bowel disease/nonspecific reactive changes. A single hematoxylin and eosin-stained specimen from biopsies of the following 5 groups were randomly selected and blinded: CC, LC, MCi, inflammatory bowel disease, and normal. Three pathologists independently reviewed the specimens. The specimens were relabeled and reinterpreted 4 months later. Intraobserver and interobserver agreement was evaluated by κ statistics. κ values for intraobserver agreement were good for 5 diagnostic groups varying from 0.70 to 0.83 and very good when simplifying to only 3 diagnostic groups varying from 0.88 to 0.96, separating MC/MCi from non-MC. κ values for interobserver agreement varied from 0.60 to 0.75 for 5 diagnostic groups and 0.81 to 0.89 for 3 diagnostic groups. The study shows that the intraobserver and interobserver agreement is high for discriminating between MC/MCi and non-MC, whereas the ability to discriminate MCi from CC and LC is lower. A revision and consensus on the histologic criteria of the MC subtypes seem warranted.

Microscopic colitis: is it a spectrum of inflammatory bowel disease?

Lymphocytic and collagenous colitis are forms of microscopic colitis which typically presents in elderly patients as chronic watery diarrhea. The association between microscopic colitis and inflammatory bowel disease is weak and unclear. Lymphocytic colitis progressing to ulcerative colitis has been previously reported; however there is limited data on ulcerative colitis evolving into microscopic (lymphocytic or collagenous) colitis. We report a series of six patients with documented ulcerative colitis who subsequently were diagnosed with collagenous colitis or lymphocytic colitis suggesting microscopic colitis could be a part of the spectrum of inflammatory bowel disease. The median duration of ulcerative colitis prior to being diagnosed with microscopic colitis was 15 years. We noted complete histological and/or symptomatic remission in three out of six cases while the other three patients reverted back into ulcerative colitis suggesting lymphocytic or collagenous colitis could present as a continuum of ulcerative colitis. The exact molecular mechanism of this histological transformation or the prognostic implications is still unclear. Till then it might be prudent to follow up these patients to assess for the relapse of inflammatory bowel disease as well as for dysplasia surveillance.

Systematic review: are lymphocytic colitis and collagenous colitis two subtypes of the same disease - microscopic colitis?

BACKGROUND: Despite similar clinical symptoms, collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC) are considered two distinct disease entities. AIM: To compare pathoanatomical findings, clinical presentations, risk factors, course of diseases and response to treatment in CC and LC to establish whether they could be subtypes of the same disease, microscopic colitis (MC). METHODS: The MEDLINE was searched for CC, LC and MC, and clinical studies of >20 patients were included. Pooled results with 95% confidence intervals were calculated based on the number of patients. RESULTS: An abnormal number of intraepithelial lymphocytes are found in 45% (40-50%) with CC, and an abnormal subepithelial collagen band in 16% (13-20%) with LC suggesting a histological overlap. The incidence of CC and LC has increased in parallel. Mean age (CC 63 years; LC 60 years) and clinical presentation are indistinguishable, and females are predominant in CC (77%; 75-79%) as well as LC (68%; 66-70%). Risk factors such as nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs consumption CC 39% (36-42%); LC 32% (29-35%) are similar and prevalence of concomitant autoimmune diseases such as coeliac disease (CC 5%; CI: 4-6% and LC 7%; CI: 6-9%) do not differ. Bile acid diarrhoea is highly prevalent in CC (41%; 37-45%) and LC (29%; 24-34%). The effect of budesonide is identical. CONCLUSIONS: CC and LC could be considered histological subtypes of the same disease, MC. To facilitate recruitment to clinical trials, all MC patients could be included in future trials and stratified for subtypes.