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Published on: September 22, 2019
Familial collagenous colitis involving a 6-year old child
Perminder S Phull1, Balasubramaniam Vijayan, William M Bisset
1Gastrointestinal & Liver Service, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, United Kingdom. p.phull@nhs.net
Insights
Familial collagenous colitis, a rare cause of watery diarrhea, was identified in a 6-year-old girl and her mother. This case highlights the importance of colonic biopsies for diagnosing this condition in children and adults.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Colorectal Diseases
Background:
- Collagenous colitis is a recognized cause of persistent, non-bloody, watery diarrhea.
- Familial and pediatric cases of collagenous colitis are infrequently reported in medical literature.
Observation:
- This report details a rare instance of familial collagenous colitis in a 6-year-old girl and her mother.
- No prior familial cases under 14 years of age have been documented.
Findings:
- The study presents a case of collagenous colitis affecting a mother and daughter, with the child being under 14 years old.
- A review of existing literature on collagenous colitis management is included.
Implications:
- Colonic mucosal biopsies are crucial for diagnosing collagenous colitis in both pediatric and adult patients with persistent watery diarrhea.
- Early consideration of biopsies, even without visible abnormalities during colonoscopy, is recommended for accurate diagnosis.
Abstract:
Collagenous colitis is a recognised cause of persistent, non-bloody, watery diarrhoea. There are few cases of collagenous colitis reported in children or occurring within families. To our knowledge, no familial cases under 14 years of age have been reported previously; we describe a case of familial collagenous colitis affecting a 6-year old girl and her mother. The relevant published literature is reviewed and management is discussed. Colonic mucosal biopsies should be considered in both adults and children presenting with persistent watery diarrhoea even in the absence of any macroscopic abnormality at colonoscopy.
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