Microscopic colitis: a retrospective study of clinical presentation in 53 patients

To evaluate the relationship between symptoms and microscopic colitis (MC) subtypes: to test whether collagenous colitis (CC) and/or lymphocytic colitis (LC) might be related to both constipation and diarrhea. A cohort of patients with independently confirmed typical histopathological changes was investigated. Fifty-three patients with histologically proved MC (46 with CC, 7 with LC) were included. The existence of diarrhea or constipation and the co-existence of autoimmune diseases were also investigated and all data were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-three (43.39%) of MC patients had chronic constipation (20 in CC, 3 in LC patients). Twenty-four (45.28%) of MC patients had autoimmune disease and the diagnosis of autoimmune disease was always prior to MC. Sjögren's syndrome was associated only with the constipation subgroup. The Janus face of MC resembles the subgroups of irritable bowel syndrome. The co-existence of autoimmune diseases and MC is confirmed in both the constipation and diarrhea subgroups.