Submucosal "dissection" in collagenous colitis.

Abstract

We were fascinated to read the paper by Cruz-Correa et al (Gut2002;51:600) [OpenUrl][1][FREE Full Text][2] describing cases of mucosal tearing at colonoscopy in patients subsequently found to have collagenous colitis. We were particularly interested in their postulated mechanism for these tears being a disruption of colonic mural integrity by the submucosal collagen layer. We would like to present two cases which add further weight to this theory as well as possibly providing information as to the pathogenesis of diarrhoea in this condition. A 60 year old woman presented to her general practitioner with a two month history of profuse watery diarrhoea. A barium enema examination was reported as showing evidence of a mild colitis only. The general practitioner commenced corticosteroids resulting in complete resolution of her symptoms. On … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DGut%26rft.stitle%253DGut%26rft.issn%253D0017-5749%26rft.aulast%253DCruz-Correa%26rft.auinit1%253DM%26rft.volume%253D51%26rft.issue%253D4%26rft.spage%253D600%26rft.epage%253D600%26rft.atitle%253DCollagenous%2Bcolitis%2Bwith%2Bmucosal%2Btears%2Bon%2Bendoscopic%2Binsufflation%253A%2Ba%2Bunique%2Bpresentation%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F12235088%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=FULL&journalCode=gutjnl&resid=51/4/600&atom=%2Fgutjnl%2F53%2F3%2F470.2.atom