RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Microscopic colitis: a common diarrhoeal disease. An epidemiological study in Örebro, Sweden, 1993–1998
JF Gut
JO Gut
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Society of Gastroenterology
SP 346
OP 350
DO 10.1136/gut.2003.014431
VO 53
IS 3
A1 M Olesen
A1 S Eriksson
A1 J Bohr
A1 G Järnerot
A1 C Tysk
YR 2004
UL http://gut.bmj.com/content/53/3/346.abstract
AB Background: Microscopic colitis, including collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis, mainly affects middle aged and older subjects, with a female predominance in collagenous colitis. The diseases have previously been regarded as rare. We present an epidemiological study of microscopic colitis in a well defined Swedish population. Methods: Patients were retrospectively searched for in colonoscopy reports of those who had a colonoscopy in the period 1993–1998 for non-bloody diarrhoea. All colonic mucosal biopsies were reassessed using strict diagnostic criteria. Results: Biopsies from 1018 patients were reassessed. Fifty one (45 female) collagenous colitis patients and 46 (31 female) lymphocytic colitis patients were diagnosed. Median age at diagnosis was 64 years in collagenous colitis and 59 years in lymphocytic colitis. The mean annual incidence of collagenous colitis was 4.9/105 inhabitants (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.6–6.2/105) and of lymphocytic colitis 4.4/105 inhabitants (95% CI 3.1–5.7/105). The annual incidence of collagenous colitis increased from 3.7/105 in 1993–1995 to 6.1/105 in 1996–1998 (difference 2.4/105 (95% CI −0.3–5.1/105)) whereas the incidence of lymphocytic colitis increased from 3.1/105 to 5.7/105 (difference 2.6/105 (95% CI 0.1–5.2/105)). Conclusions: The annual incidences of collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis are higher than considered previously and are now equal to the incidence of Crohn’s disease in Sweden, and combined rates approach the incidence of ulcerative colitis. Microscopic colitis was diagnosed in 10% of all patients with non-bloody diarrhoea referred for colonoscopy and in almost 20% of those older than 70 years.