| Colitis - differential diagnosis |
| Ulcerative Colitis |
Infections |
- bloody, watery Diarrhea
- mucous stools
- abdominal cramps
- elevated body temperature
- weight loss
- at times considerable blood loss
- positive familial history
- continuous, ascending involvement
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Pathogens:
Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter jejuni,
Amebia, Chlamydia, enteropathogenous E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
Viruses, Protozons u.a.
In case of opportunistic pathogens consider HIV. |
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Clinical findings:
- sudden onset
- mainly diarrhea with or without hemorrhage
- Fever
- other people suffering the same symptoms
- haviong been abroad
- positive tests (antibodies, pathogens)
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| Ischemia |
Colitis in Crohn´s disease |
- segmental involvement (left flexure)
- older age
- sudden onset
- abdominal pain
- cardial arrhythmia, other manifestations of artherosclerosis
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- rare bloody stools
- perianal lesions
- segmental involvement
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| Radiation colitis |
Gonococcal proktitis |
- Prior radiation
- Rectosigmoid most frequently involved
- Mucous atrophy
- Vulnerable, easily bleeding mucosa
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- Pain
- Diarrhea
- Pus covering stool
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| Collagenous colitis |
Microscopic colitis |
- Watery diarrhea
- Granular mucosa
- Histology reveals a collagen band
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- Watery diarrhea
- Normal mucosa
- Old ladies frequently affected
- drug- induced (i.e.. ranitidin)
- In case of diarrhea and normal mucosa: take biopsies
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| Pseudomembranous colitis |
Drug induced colitis |
- Therapy with antibiotic drugs
- Watery or bloody diarrhea
- Pseudomembranes
- Clostridium difficile - toxin recovered from stool
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- Bloody or watery diarrhea
- rare blood loss
- Drugs : cytotoxic drugs, salicylates, other NSAID.
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| Rare forms of colitis |
- Uremic colitis
- Disseminated intravasal coagulation
- Serum sickness
- Cryoglobulines
- Vasculitis
- Neutropenia
- Wegner´s granulomatosis
- Chemical colitis
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