In medicine, "the label" colitis (without qualification) is used in very different cases; for example if:
- the cause of colon inflammation is undetermined, as in unknown Crohn's disease;
- the cause of colon inflammation is determined; as in diagnosed ulcerative colitis.
More serious symptoms can include: difficulty in breathing, fast or irregular heartbeat and fever.
Other less common or rare non-specific symptoms that may accompany colitis include: arthritis, mouth ulcers, painful, red and swollen skin, and irritation of bloodshot eyes.
Clinical signs seen in colonoscopy may include: colonic mucosal erythema (redness of the inner surface of the colon), ulceration and haemorrhage.
For further information: Symptoms and Diagnosis of Colitis is based on medical history, physical examinations and laboratory tests (CBC, electrolytes, culture and search for parasites in the stool, etc.).Additional tests may include medical imaging (eg abdominal computed tomography, abdominal x-rays) and examination with a video camera inserted into the rectum (sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy).
An important investigation in evaluating colitis is biopsy, which can provide important information on the cause of the disease and the extent of intestinal damage.
For further information: Diet and Colitis;- Microscopic colitis: a colitis diagnosed by microscopic examination of the colonic tissue; macroscopically ("to the sight") it appears normal;
- Lymphocytic colitis;
- Collagen colitis;
- Cause-treatment:
- Diversion colitis;
- Chemical colitis
- Chemotherapy-induced colitis;
- Radiation colitis
- Vascular disease:
- Ischemic colitis;
- Infectious:
- Infectious colitis.
A subtype of infectious colitis is colitis da Clostridium difficile, which is informally abbreviated as "C-diff colitis". It usually forms pseudomembranes and is often referred to as pseudomembranous colitis, which is its histomorphological (non-specific) description.
Enterohemorrhagic colitis can be caused by the Shiga toxin in Shigella dysenteriae or by the Shigatoxigenic group of Escherichia coli (STEC), which includes serotype O157: H7 and other enterohemorrhagic E. coli.
Parasitic infections, such as those caused by Entamoeba histolytica, can cause colitis.
Unclassifiable colitis
Indeterminate colitis is the classification of colitis that exhibit features of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The behavior of indeterminate colitis is generally closer to ulcerative colitis than Crohn's disease.
Atypical colitis is a name that is occasionally used by doctors for colitis that does not meet the criteria for full-blown types. It is not an accepted diagnosis per se and, as such, cannot be definitively classified.
To learn more: Ulcerative colitis depends on the severity.Some people may undergo hospitalization even soon after the colonoscopy. Sometimes it is necessary to start therapy with steroid anti-inflammatory drugs to accelerate colon healing. It may also be necessary to keep the patient hydrated (drip) and supplemented with iron, due to any large blood loss. There are also drugs for daily administration, such as anti-inflammatories or specific immunosuppressants. If the patient does not respond, new drugs will be tried until the appropriate therapy is found.
Several studies have recently found a significant relationship between colitis and adverse reactions to dairy products, suggesting that some patients may benefit from an exclusion diet.
Read More: Treating Colitis Difficile Colitis - Overview ". WebMD, LLC. Retrieved 2006-09-15.
