Lymphocytic colitis is a disorder that causes swelling of large intestine. It is also known as microscopic colitis since this problem has to be examined under a microscope for diagnosing it. Two major types of colitis are recognized. One is collagenous colitis which is marked by thick protein layer on the tissue of the colon and the second is lymphocytic colitis which is marked by swelling or inflammation of colon tissue due to accumulation of white blood cells.
Symptoms :
The below symptoms are not the same for every person who has developed lymphocytic colitis. Nausea, incontinence of stool, passing loose stools, sudden weight loss and pain in the abdomen are some of the signs of this disorder.
Causes :
The causative factors are not specific and experts believe that this disorder can be caused due to certain factors like prolonged intake of certain medicines (that would destroy the soft lining of the colon), virus or bacterial infection (that may produce toxins destroying the inner lining) and autoimmune disorders like lupus or arthritis in which the body’s immune system will destroy healthy cells of the colon by mistake.
Who are at risk?
People who are aged, and have problems in their immune system are more prone to get disorders in colon than others. Women are likely to get more problem than men in their menopause age. Intake of certain medications like proton pump inhibitors, zantac and serotonin reuptake inhibitors can cause the risk of developing lymphocytic colitis.
Tests :
Your doctor will assess the symptoms given above and complete physical examination of your body. He would rule out the possibilities of celiac disease for diarrhea and collect medical history from you. He may order for blood culture, biopsy of the tissue from your digestive tract (to rule out celiac disease), and colonoscopy test for detecting intestinal disorders. Some doctors use sigmoidoscopy in which thin tubing fitted with camera is sent into the colon for viewing the position.