It refers to two related medical conditions which cause diarrhea: collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis.
Microscopic colitis is a chronic condition that involves the digestive system, particularly the large intestine or colon. This condition primarily results to watery diarrhea and stomach discomfort. In general, microscopic colitis manifests the following symptoms: 1  Chronic diarrhea which is described to be watery and is frequently reported as non-bloody. 2  The episodes of diarrhea is said to last for weeks, months or even worse, for years. 3  Abdominal discomfort and cramps. 4  Abdominal bloating is noted. Microscopic colitis refers to two related medical conditions which cause diarrhea: collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. Both conditions are characterized by the presence of chronic watery diarrhea, normal appearances on colonoscopy and characteristic histopathology findings of inflammatory cells. People who develop microscopic colitis are characteristically, though not exclusively, middle-aged females. The average age of diagnosis is 65 but 25% of cases are diagnosed below the age of 45. Patients have a long history of watery diarrhoea, which may be profuse. Microscopic colitis refers to inflammation of the colon that is only visible when the colon's lining is examined under a microscope. The appearance of the inner colon lining in microscopic colitis is normal by visual inspection during colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy. The diagnosis of microscopic colitis is made when a doctor, while performing colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, takes biopsies (small samples of tissue) of the normal-appearing lining, and then examines the biopsies Microscopic colitis takes two forms: collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. Collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis are two types of bowel inflammation that affect the colon (large intestine). Symptoms. The symptoms of collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis are similar--chronic watery, nonbloody diarrhea. The diarrhea may be continuous or episodic. Abdominal pain or cramps may also be present. Colitis means inflammation of the colon. The colon, also known as the large intestine or large bowel, constitutes the last part of the digestive tract. The colon is a long, muscular tube that receives digested food from the small intestine. It removes water from the undigested food, stores the undigested food, and then eliminates it from the body through bowel movements. The rectum is the last part of the colon adjacent to the anus. The common symptoms of colitis include: 1  abdominal pain, 2  diarrhea, and. 3  sometimes, rectal bleeding Microscopic colitis is inflammation of the bowel that is only visible using a microscope. Microscopic colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which refers to a group of conditions that causes inflammation in the bowel due to an excessive build-up of white blood cells in the bowel lining. Microscopic colitis is less severe than other types of IBD because it does not lead to cancer and rarely requires surgery. However, microscopic colitis can cause considerable pain and discomfort. The term bowel refers to any part of the small or large intestine. Microscopic colitis has two main forms: collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis. Slight differences in the way intestinal tissues appear set them apart. In both forms, an increase in white blood cells can be seen within the intestinal epithelium—the layer of cells that lines the intestine.  Microscopic colitis, which includes collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis, is characterized by chronic diarrhea caused by inflammation in the colon. It is not related to ulcerative colitis or to Crohn's disease, which are more severe forms of inflammatory bowel disease. There is also no evidence to suggest that microscopic colitis carries the same increased risk for colon cancer as ulcerative colitis.
http://howshealth.com/microscopic-colitis-symptoms-causes-types-treatment-diet/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microscopic_colitis http://www.medicinenet.com/lymphocytic_colitis/page2.htm http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Inflammatory_Bowel_Disease_IBD_QandA/microscopic-colitis http://www.medicinenet.com/lymphocytic_colitis/article.htm http://www.gpagastropractice.com/conditions-microscopic-colitis.html https://www.patientslikeme.com/conditions/551-microscopic-colitis http://www.ccfa.org/resources/microscopic-colitis.html
what is microscopic colitis disease