Gut Liver.  2015 Mar;9(2):197-201. 10.5009/gnl13373.

Does Lymphocytic Colitis Always Present with Normal Endoscopic Findings?

• Park HS
• Han DS
• Ro Y
• Eun CS
• Yoo KS

• KMID: 2380764
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5009/gnl13373

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Although normal endoscopic findings are, as a rule, part of the diagnosis of microscopic colitis, several cases of macroscopic lesions (MLs) have been reported in collagenous colitis, but hardly in lymphocytic colitis (LC). The aim of this study was to investigate the endoscopic, clinical, and histopathologic features of LC with MLs.
METHODS
A total of 14 patients with LC who were diagnosed between 2005 and 2010 were enrolled in the study. Endoscopic, clinical, and histopathologic findings were compared retrospectively according to the presence or absence of MLs.
RESULTS
MLs were observed in seven of the 14 LC cases. Six of the MLs exhibited hypervascularity, three exhibited exudative bleeding and one exhibited edema. The patients with MLs had more severe diarrhea and were taking aspirin or proton pump inhibitors. More intraepithelial lymphocytes were observed during histologic examination in the patients with MLs compared to the patients without MLs, although this difference was not significant. The numbers of mononuclear cells and neutrophils in the lamina propria were independent of the presence or absence of MLs.
CONCLUSIONS
LC does not always present with normal endoscopic findings. Hypervascularity and exudative bleeding are frequent endoscopic findings in patients with MLs.

Keyword

Lymphocytic colitis; Hypervascularity; Exudative; Hemorrhage

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Colitis, Collagenous/*pathology
Colitis, Lymphocytic/complications/*pathology
Colon/pathology
*Colonoscopy
Diagnosis, Differential
Diarrhea/etiology
Female
Humans
Intestinal Mucosa/*pathology
Male
Middle Aged
Retrospective Studies