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Colitis - An inflammation of the colon. Colitis is often used to describe an inflammation of the large intestine - There are many different types of colitis with different causes.

Usually classified by the etiology:

• Autoimmune
• Idiopathic
• Iatrogenic
• Vascular disease
• Infectious

Signs and symptoms of colitides (inflammatory disorders of the colon considered collectively) are variable and dependent on the etiology (cause) of the given colitis and factors that modify its course and severity.

Symptoms of colitis:

• Abdominal pain.
• Loss of appetite.
• Fatigue.
• Diarrhoea.
• Cramping.
• Urgency (tenesmus - a feeling of incomplete defecation, experienced as an inability or difficulty to empty the bowel. It can be painful and may be accompanied by involuntary straining and other gastrointestinal symptoms).
• Bloating.

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Signs of Colitis:

• Abdominal tenderness.
• Weight loss.
• Changes in bowel habits (increased frequency).
• Fever.
• Bleeding (overt or occult)/bloody stools.
• Diarrhoea and distension.

Signs seen on colonoscopy, such as:

• Colonic mucosal erythema (redness of the inner surface of the colon).
• Ulcers.
• Bleeding.

How a particular colitis is treated is dependent on its etiology, such as:

• Infectious colitis are usually treated with antimicrobial agents (antibiotics).
• Autoimmune mediated colitis are usually treated with immune modulators - immune suppressants.

Severe colitis can be life-threatening and may require surgery.

Inflammation - Site Page

Colonoscopy - examination of the colon and the distal part of the small bowel with a CCD camera or a fibre optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. It may provide a visual diagnosis and the opportunity for biopsy or removal of suspected lesions.

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Colitis