Is Microscopic Colitis Associated with Increased Risk for Other Gastrointestinal Diseases?

Microscopic colitis is clinically suspected in patients with recurrent watery diarrhea and the absence of gross pathologic changes in the colon by endoscopic examination. The diagnosis is established only by microscopic evaluation of colonic biopsies. Microscopic colitis is currently classified into three subgroups: collagenous colitis (CC), lymphocytic colitis (LC), and combined CC and LC. The incidence rates are 4.14 per 100,000 person-years and 4.85 per 100,000 person-years for CC and LC, respectfully. Diagnosis is typically made without measuring the exact thickness of the subepithelial collagen band or by counting the number of lymphocytes in the epithelium. There is little research done showing if these numbers are clinically relevant. It may be important to know if these numbers relate to clinic progression or other important outcomes