D factor
| colitis, mucus | A common gastrointestinal disorder characterised by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhoea and constipation, symptoms that tend to be chronic and wax and wane over the years. Although mucus colitis can cause chronic recurrent discomfort, it appears to be an abnormal condition of gut contractions (motility) and does not lead to any serious organ problems. Diagnosis usually involves excluding other illnesses. Treatment is directed toward relief of symptoms and includes high fibre diet, exercise, relaxation techniques, avoidance of caffeine, milk products and sweeteners, and medications. Alternative names include irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colitis and nervous colon syndrome. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| colitis, pseudomembranous | Severe inflammation of the inner lining of the colon due usually to the clostridium difficile (C.difficile) bacterium, one of the most common causes of infection of the large bowel (colon) in the United States, affecting millions of patients yearly. Patients taking antibiotics are at risk of becoming infected with C. Difficile. Antibiotics disrupt the natural bacteria of the bowel, allowing C. Difficile bacteria to become established in the colon. Many persons infected with C. Difficile bacteria have no symptoms. These people become carriers of the bacteria and can infect others. In some people, a toxin produced by C. Difficile causes diarrhoea, abdominal pain, severe inflammation of the colon (colitis), fever, an elevated white blood count, vomiting and dehydration. Rarely, the walls of the colon wear away and holes develop (colon perforation), which can lead to a life-threatening infection of the abdomen. (12 Dec 1998) |
| colitis, spastic | See Colitis, mucus. (12 Dec 1998) |
| colitis, ulcerative | Inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). Cause unknown. Intermittent rectal bleeding, crampy abdominal pain and diarrhoea can be symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Diagnosis can be made by barium enema, but direct visualization (sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy) is the most accurate test. Long-standing ulcerative colitis increases the risk for colon cancer. Ulcerative colitis can also be associated with inflammation in joints, spine, skin, eyes, the liver and its bile ducts. Treatment of ulcerative colitis can involve medications and surgery. (12 Dec 1998) |
| collagenous colitis | Colitis occurring mostly in middle-aged women and characterised by persistent watery diarrhoea and a deposit of a band of collagen beneath the basement membrane of colon surface epithelium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mucous colitis | An affection of the mucous membrane of the colon characterised by colicky pain, constipation or diarrhoea (sometimes alternating), and passage of mucous or slimy pseudomembranous shreds and patches. Synonym: mucocolitis, myxomembranous colitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mucus colitis | A common gastrointestinal disorder characterised by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhoea and constipation, symptoms that tend to be chronic and wax and wane over the years. Although mucus colitis can cause chronic recurrent discomfort, it appears to be an abnormal condition of gut contractions (motility) and does not lead to any serious organ problems. Diagnosis usually involves excluding other illnesses. Treatment is directed toward relief of symptoms and includes high fibre diet, exercise, relaxation techniques, avoidance of caffeine, milk products and sweeteners, and medications. Alternative names include irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colitis and nervous colon syndrome. (12 Dec 1998) |
| myxomembranous colitis | An affection of the mucous membrane of the colon characterised by colicky pain, constipation or diarrhoea (sometimes alternating), and passage of mucous or slimy pseudomembranous shreds and patches. Synonym: mucocolitis, myxomembranous colitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| crohn disease vs ulcerative colitis | <radiology> Crohn disease ulcerative colitis location right side left side ulcers deep shallow contraction no yes ileocaecal valve thickened gaping fistulae yes no eccentricity yes no rate of carcinoma slight increase marked increase megacolon unusual yes (12 Dec 1998) |
| crohn's colitis | Crohn's disease involving only the large intestine (colon). (12 Dec 1998) |
| haemorrhagic colitis | Abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhoea, without fever, attributed to a self-limited infection by a strain of Escherichia coli. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pseudomembranous colitis | <gastroenterology> A form of gastroenteritis which occurs when there is an over-growth of Clostridium difficile bacteria in the intestine. This can occur after long-term treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics. (25 Nov 1998) |
| spastic colitis | See Syndrome, irritable bowel. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ischemic colitis | <radiology> Precipitating factors: volvulus, carcinoma, cardiovascular disease, history of aortoiliac reconstruction (2%) with ligation of IMA, abrupt onset of lower abdominal pain and rectal bleeding, location: splenic flexure (80%) and rectosigmoid (watershed areas), BE: single contrast prefered (lesions may become effaced with double contrast), serrated mucosa; pseudopolyposis; transverse ridging; thumbprinting on mesenteric side; deep ulcers, CT: thickening of wall; irregular lumen (thumbrinting), curvilinear collection of intramural gas, portal and mesenteric venous air, blood clot in superior mesenteric artery / superior mesenteric vein, Angio (similar to inflammatory disease): normal / slightly attenuated arterial supply, mild acceleration of arteriovenous transit time (12 Dec 1998) |
| ulcerative colitis | <pathology> Inflammation of the colon and rectum: cause unclear, although there are often antibodies to colonic epithelium and E. Coli strain 0119 B14. (18 Nov 1997) |