[Microscopic colitis]

Microscopic colitis is an umbrella term for a newly described group of colitides, belonging to the inflammatory bowel diseases, which are only diagnosable by microscopic evaluation of a macroscopically normal colon mucosa. Collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis are the most common of these colitides. Microscopic colitis is characterised clinically by chronic non-bloody watery diarrhoea. Crampy abdominal pain, nocturnal diarrhoea, urgency, and initial weight loss are usual. Concomitant diseases of autoimmune origin and arthralgia are commonly seen. Treatment of microscopic colitis follows the guidelines for treatment of other inflammatory bowel diseases, but a substantial part of the patients with microscopic colitis enter spontaneous remission after some years. A minor part, however, have very troublesome symptoms and are almost refractory to treatment. Microscopic colitis has apparently no malignant potential.