| colitis | <pathology> Inflammation of the colon. (18 Nov 1997) |
|---|---|
| colitis cystica profunda | Intramural mucus-containing cysts of the large bowel; the condition may be mistaken for mucinous carcinoma but is not neoplastic. (05 Mar 2000) |
| colitis cystica superficialis | A form of colitis in which there is superficial cyst formation in the colon. (05 Mar 2000) |
| colitis gravis | An obsolete term for ulcerative colitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| colitis, crohn's | Crohn's disease affecting only the large intestine (colon). The disease usually affects persons in their teens or early twenties. It tends to be chronic, recurrent with periods of remission and exacerbation. In the early stages, it causes small scattered shallow crater-like areas (erosions) called apthous ulcers in the inner surface of the bowel. With time, deeper and larger ulcers develop, causing scarring and stiffness of the bowel and the bowel becomes increasingly narrowed, leading to obstruction. Deep ulcers can puncture holes in the bowel wall, leading to infection in the abdominal cavity (peritonitis) and in adjacent organs. Abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss can be symptoms. Crohn's disease can be associated with reddish tender skin nodules, and inflammation of the joints, spine, eyes, and liver. Diagnosis is by barium enema, barium X-ray of the small bowel, and colonoscopy. Treatment includes medications for inflammation, immune suppression, antibiotics, or surgery. (The disease is also called granulomatous enteritis or regional enteritis). (12 Dec 1998) |
| colitis, ischemic | Acute vascular insufficiency of the colon usually involving the portion supplied by the inferior mesenteric artery. The symptoms include pain at the iliac fossa, bloody diarrhoea, low-grade fever, abdominal distention, and abdominal tenderness. The classic radiologic sign is thumbprinting due to localised elevation of the mucosa by submucosal haemorrhage or oedema. Ulceration may follow. (12 Dec 1998) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| colitose | A polysaccharide somatic antigen of Salmonella species. (05 Mar 2000) |
| colla | Plural of collum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| collacin | Degenerated collagen. Synonym: collastin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| collagen | <protein> The protein substance of the white fibres (collagenous fibres) of skin, tendon, bone, cartilage and all other connective tissue, composed of molecules of tropocollagen, it is converted into gelatin by boiling. Collagenous pertaining to collagen, forming or producing collagen. Origin: Gr. Kolla = glue, gennan = to produce (18 Nov 1997) |
| collagen diseases | Historically, a heterogeneous group of acute and chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, progressive systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, etc. This classification was based on the notion that "collagen" was equivalent to "connective tissue", but with the present recognition of the different types of collagen and the aggregates derived from them as distinct entities, the term "collagen diseases" now pertains exclusively to those inherited conditions in which the primary defect is at the gene level and affects collagen biosynthesis, post-translational modification, or extracellular processing directly. (12 Dec 1998) |