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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
The cause of collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis has not been identified. Some researchers believe that bacteria and the toxins they produce or a virus may trigger the inflammation associated with these conditions.
Other investigators have theorized that these disorders are autoimmune problems, meaning that the body's own immune system is overactive and actually attacks and damages healthy cells, mistakenly recognizing them as foreign invaders. In fact, people with collagenous colitis or lymphocytic colitis often have one or more additional autoimmune disorders as well, such as:
- Celiac disease, a digestive system disorder associated with the intake of the protein gluten, which may have the same signs and symptoms as microscopic colitis
- Diabetes mellitus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Thyroid disorders
- Pernicious anemia, a condition that results in low red blood cell counts
- Scleroderma, a disease of the skin and connective tissue
- Sjogren's syndrome, an immune system dysfunction causing inflammation of the connective tissue
- CREST syndrome, a connective tissue disorder affecting the skin and blood vessels
There have been some reports of collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis occurring in families, suggesting a possible genetic component in some cases.
- Collagenous Colitis and Lymphocytic Colitis. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/collagenouscolitis/. Accessed Aug. 12, 2008.
- Collagenous Colitis and Lymphocytic Colitis. Merck Manual. http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec09/ch126/ch126d.html. Accessed Aug. 12, 2008.
- Dietrich CF. Lymphocytic and collagenous colitis (microscopic colitis). http://www.uptodate.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=inflambd/5666. Accessed Aug. 12, 2008.
- Wall, Geoffrey C. Pharmacotherapy for Microscopic Colitis. Pharmacotherapy. 2007;27(3):425-433.http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/555432_1. Accessed Aug. 12, 2008.
- Colitis: A cause of persistent diarrhea in older adults. Mayo Clinic Health Letter.Vol. 25, No. 3, March 2007.
- Antidiarrheal Medicines: OTC Relief for Diarrhea. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/otc-center/otc-medicines/855.html#ArticleParsysMiddleColumn0010. Accessed Aug. 12, 2008.
