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Lymphocytic colitis: clinical features, treatment, and outcomes
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|November 12, 2002
Summary
Lymphocytic colitis commonly affects older adults with chronic diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms. While several treatments offer some relief, none provide a complete response for most patients, indicating a need for further research.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Colitis Research
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Limited data exists on clinical features and treatment outcomes for lymphocytic colitis.
- The efficacy of treatments used for collagenous colitis in lymphocytic colitis is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical features and treatment outcomes in a large cohort of patients with lymphocytic colitis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 170 patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven lymphocytic colitis between 1997 and 1999.
- Abstraction of clinical presentation data and treatment outcomes from medical records.
Main Results:
- Common symptoms include chronic diarrhea, bloating, urgency, fecal incontinence, and weight loss.
- Concomitant autoimmune disorders and NSAID use were frequently observed.
- Loperamide, diphenoxylate/atropine, and bismuth subsalicylate showed some efficacy but did not achieve complete response in over 40% of patients.
Conclusions:
- Lymphocytic colitis characteristically presents in elderly individuals with chronic diarrhea and associated symptoms.
- Current empiric treatments yield disappointing response rates, highlighting the need for randomized controlled trials to establish optimal therapeutic strategies.