Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

colitis

 
Dictionary: co·li·tis   (kə-lī'tĭs) pronunciation
Home > Library > Literature & Language > Dictionary
n.
Inflammation of the colon. Also called colonitis.


Search unanswered questions...

Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

Food and Nutrition: colitis
Top
Home > Library > Food & Cooking > Food and Nutrition

Inflammation of the large intestine, with pain, diarrhoea, and weight loss; there may be ulceration of the large intestine (ulcerative colitis). See also Crohn's disease; gastro-intestinal tract; irritable bowel syndrome.

Dental Dictionary: colitis
Top
Home > Library > Health > Dental Dictionary

n

An inflammatory condition of the large intestine. Most of the diseases of this group are of unknown origin.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: colitis
Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Columbia Encyclopedia
colitis, inflammation of the colon, or large intestine. The term "colitis" may be used to refer to any of a number of disorders involving the colon. Symptoms include diarrhea (often with blood and mucus), abdominal pain, and fever.

Ulcerative colitis is a serious chronic inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the colon and rectum. Another form of colitis, called Crohn's disease, has similar signs and includes thickening of the intestinal wall. The disease typically occurs in the small intestine near the point where it joins the colon, but the colon and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract may be affected as well. The term "inflammatory bowel disease" has been used to refer to both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, the causes of which are unknown. A less severe disorder, known as irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, was formerly called mucous colitis.

Colitis is sometimes caused by infections with viruses, parasites, or bacteria. For example, two distinct types of dysentery are caused by amebas and bacteria. Infectious forms of colitis are often the result of poor hygienic practices. Prolonged use of antibiotics can also cause colitis, either by direct irritation of the colon or by killing bacteria that normally live in the intestine, allowing the toxin-producing bacterium Clostridium difficile to proliferate. Colitis is also sometimes caused by diverticulitis (see under diverticulosis) or by colon cancer.

Health Dictionary: colitis
Top
Home > Library > Health > Health Dictionary
(kuh-leye-tis)

An inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the colon. Colitis is characterized by pain in the abdomen, with alternating episodes of constipation and diarrhea.

Veterinary Dictionary: colitis
Top
Home > Library > Animal Life > Veterinary Dictionary

Pl. colitides; inflammation of the colon. There are many types of colitis, each having different etiologies. The differential diagnosis involves the clinical history, fecal examinations, proctoscopy, radiological studies such as barium enemas, and sometimes biopsy.

  • antibiotic-associated c. — colitis associated with antimicrobial therapy occurs in humans and animals. It can range from mild nonspecific colitis and diarrhea to severe fulminant pseudomembranous colitis (see below) with profuse watery diarrhea. The inflammation may be caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium difficile, a microorganism that is not normally present in the resident bowel flora. Presumably, the disruption of the normal flora allows the growth of C. difficile. There is developing evidence that, in foals and adult horses, C. difficile can be associated with diarrheal disease that can vary from mild to self-limiting to an acute and fatal enterocolitis. Evidence for this association is the biological plausibility, some evidence that this syndrome can be reproduced experimentally, and the ability to demonstrate the organism or its toxin in the feces of horses with the enterocolitis in comparison with the low prevalence and absence of toxin in the feces of non-diarrheic horses. This syndrome commonly occurs in horses following antimicrobial therapy and/or hospitalization. It is possible that enterotoxin from intestinal C. perfringens may also contribute in horses and the syndrome has been called equine clostridiosis.
  • ciliate c. — colitis in primates caused by Troglodytella spp. and characterized by diarrhea.
  • c. cystica profunda — dilated, grossly visible colonic glands protrude through the muscularis mucosae into the submucosa; no specific cause attributed; an incidental necropsy finding, especially in pigs.
  • eosinophilic ulcerative c. — occurs in humans and dogs, either as a primary disease or as part of an eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Characterized histologically by eosinophilic infiltration of the lamina propria and submucosa. May be caused by hypersensitivity reactions, parasites or foreign body reactions.
  • granulomatous c. — see histiocytic ulcerative colitis (below).
  • histiocytic ulcerative c. — a chronic, debilitating inflammation of the colon occurring predominantly in young Boxer dogs. Affected dogs have a chronic hemorrhagic diarrhea with tenesmus, and occasionally vomiting, inappetence and weight loss. Colonic mucosa is thickened, friable and ulcerated. Macrophages containing PAS-positive granules are found in the mucosa and submucosa. The cause of this disease is unknown. It is similar, but not identical to, ulcerative colitis, granulomatous colitis and Whipple's disease of humans.
  • idiopathic c. — a disease similar to histiocytic ulcerative colitis (above), occurring predominantly in dogs other than Boxers and lacking the PAS-positive granules in histiocytes.
  • mucous c. — see irritable colon syndrome.
  • plasmacytic–lymphocytic c. — mucosal infiltration by plasmacytes and lymphocytes associated with sign of colitis in dogs. Dietary hypersensitivity is considered an important cause.
  • pseudomembranous c. — a severe acute inflammation of the bowel mucosa, with the formation of pseudomembranous plaques. It is most commonly associated with antimicrobial therapy (see antibiotic-associated colitis (above)). Called also pseudomembranous enterocolitis.
  • psychologically induced c. — see irritable colon syndrome.
  • uremic c. — an outstanding lesion in cattle dying of uremia.
  • c.-X — a peracute colitis of horses, sometimes occurring as outbreaks, characterized by a short course of about 24 hours, profuse diarrhea, sometimes with colic and dysentery and profound dehydration. The cause is unknown and the outcome invariably fatal.
Wikipedia: Colitis
Top
Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Wikipedia
Colitis
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 K50. - K52
ICD-9 558
OMIM 191390
DiseasesDB 31340
MedlinePlus 001125
eMedicine ped/435
MeSH C06.405.205.265

Colitis is a chronic digestive disease characterized by inflammation of the colon.

Colitis is one of a group of conditions which are inflammatory and auto-immune, affecting the tissue that lines the gastrointestinal system (the large and small intestine). It is classed as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), not to be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Contents

Signs and symptoms

General signs and symptoms of colitis include intense pain, tenderness in the abdomen, depression, rapid weight loss, aches and pains within the joints, loss of appetite, fatigue, changes in bowel habits (increased frequency), fever; swelling of the colon tissue, erythema (redness) of the surface of the colon, ulcers on the colon (in ulcerative colitis) which can bleed, mucus in the stool, blood in stool and rectal bleeding. Diarrhea may present itself, although some forms of colitis are constipation so the stool and bowel movements can appear normal.

Other symptoms may include: gas, bloating, indigestion, heartburn, reflux, Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD, or GORD when using the Commonwealth spelling oesophageal), cramps, urgency and many other uncomfortable aches in the gastrointestinal system.

Common tests which reveal these signs include X-rays of the colon, testing the stool for blood and pus, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Additional tests include stool cultures and blood tests, including blood chemistry tests. A high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is one typical finding in acute exacerbations of colitis.

Food triggers

Many people have found that one or more of the following foods can trigger their symptoms [1]:

  • alcohol
  • caffeine
  • carbonated beverages
  • dairy products, if lactose intolerant
  • dried beans, peas, and legumes
  • dried fruits, berries, fruits with pulp or seeds
  • foods containing sulfur or sulfate
  • foods high in fiber, including whole-grain products
  • hot sauce, pepper
  • meats
  • nuts, crunchy nut butters
  • popcorn
  • products containing sorbitol (sugar-free gum and candies)
  • raw vegetables
  • refined sugar
  • seeds
  • spicy foods, sauces

Types

Types of colitis include ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's colitis, diversion colitis, ischemic colitis, infectious colitis, fulminant colitis, collagenous colitis, chemical colitis, microscopic colitis, lymphocytic colitis, and atypical colitis.

A well-known subtype of infectious colitis is pseudomembranous colitis, which results from infection by a toxigenic strain of Clostridium difficile (c-diff).[2] Parasitic infections can also cause colitis.

Any colitis with a rapid downhill clinical course[clarification needed] is known as fulminant colitis. In addition to the diarrhea, fever, and anemia seen in colitis, the patient has severe abdominal pain and presents a clinical picture similar to that of septicemia, where shock is present. Approximately half of these patients require surgery.

Irritable bowel syndrome, a separate disease, has been called spastic colitis or spastic colon. This name causes confusion, since colitis is not a feature of irritable bowel syndrome.

Enterohemorrhagic colitis may be caused by Shiga toxin in Shigella dysenteriae or Shigatoxigenic group of Escherichia coli (STEC), which includes serotype O157:H7 and other enterohemorrhagic E. coli.[3]

Treatment

Treatment of colitis may include the administration of antibiotics, Azathioprine or similar immunosupressants; steroids such as prednisolone and prednisone; one or several of a number of other drugs that ameliorate inflammation and pain (buscopan). As it is a chronic condition the objective is "remission" rather than cure.

Surgery is required only when the patient suffers from regular or permanent flare ups, especially in cases of fulminant colitis. Surgery usually entails removing the colon and bowel and creating a "pouch" with a portion of the small intestine, which in time adopts the characteristics of the colon.

Medical opinion is divided on the role of diet in colitis and IBD. Anecdotally, some sufferers find a change in diet can be effective at treating the symptoms of colitis and easing the side effects.[4] These can include reducing the intake of complex carbohydrates, refined sugar, lactose products, soft drinks, caffeine, and spicy foods.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Creating an Ulcerative Colitis Diet Plan". WebMD, LLC. http://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/ulcerative-colitis/creating-an-ulcerative-colitis-plan. Retrieved 2008-12-13. 
  2. ^ "Clostridium Difficile Colitis - Overview". WebMD, LLC. http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/clostridium-difficile-colitis-overview. Retrieved 2006-09-15. 
  3. ^ Beutin L (2006). "Emerging enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli, causes and effects of the rise of a human pathogen". J Vet Med B Infect Dis Vet Public Health 53 (7): 299–305. PMID 16930272. 
  4. ^ Geerling BJ, Dagnelie PC, Badart-Smook A, Russel MG, Stockbrügger RW, Brummer RJ (2000). "Diet as a risk factor for the development of ulcerative colitis". Am. J. Gastroenterol. 95 (4): 1008–13. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2000.01942.x. PMID 10763951. 

External links

v • d • e
Inflammation
Acute
Chronic
Processes
Specific types

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Food and Nutrition. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2005 by A. E. Bender and D. A. Bender. All rights reserved.  Read more
Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.  Read more
Health Dictionary. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Colitis".  Read more