Patients excluded from the study (n = 111)
| No biopsies proximal to the splenic flexure (n = 34) |
| Collagenous colitis (n = 26) |
| Histopathologically normal colonic mucosa (n = 24) |
| Lymphocytic colitis-like but intraepithelial lymphocytes <20 per 100 surface epithelial cells (n = 13) |
| Miscellaneous conditions (infectious colitis, carcinoid syndrome, lymphoid hyperplasia) (n = 6) |
| Histopathological features of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease (n = 4) |
| Insufficient biopsy quality for reassessment (n = 4) |