- With Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist
Michael Picco, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Michael Picco, M.D.
Michael Picco, M.D.
Dr. Michael F. Picco has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999. He is board certified in internal medicine and gastroenterology. Dr. Picco is an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and a consultant in gastroenterology at Mayo Clinic in Florida.
He has authored numerous publications in the area of gastroenterology, including original research, editorials and textbook chapters. He works with a team of gastroenterologists that takes care of complex gastrointestinal conditions and has a particular interest in diarrheal illnesses and inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease). He is also active in medical education in training new gastroenterologist and internists.
"MayoClinic.com is an invaluable resource for patients and their families," Dr. Picco said. "Informed patients are better able to participate in their own health care. A patient's participation is vital to the treatment of his or her disease. I hope to assist in helping patients understand their digestive problems and current treatments that are offered. This will allow for better communication between patients, their physicians and other health care professionals."
Dr. Picco serves as a reviewer of new research for several medical journals in the area of gastroenterology and is an active member of the American Gastroenterological Association, American College of Gastroenterology and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. He serves on numerous committees that address physician training, research and clinical practice in gastroenterology, both at Mayo Clinic and at the national level.
"Patients need to know about their disease, what to expect, the latest treatments and side effects so that they can make informed decisions about their health care. Gastrointestinal disease affects not only patients but also their families. My goal is to assure that our Web site provides accurate, reliable information and resources for patients. We must always provide the latest, most cutting-edge information to assist patients in dealing with their medical problems," Dr. Picco said.
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Narrow stools: Should I be concerned?
What causes narrow stools? Should I be concerned?
Answer
from Michael Picco, M.D.
Narrow stools that occur on an infrequent basis are probably not an indication of a serious underlying problem. However in some cases, narrow stools — especially if pencil thin — may be a sign of narrowing or obstruction of the colon due to colon cancer. In addition, irritable bowel syndrome may cause irregular stools that alternate between normal and either constipation or diarrhea. Such stools may also be narrower than usual.
Check with your doctor if you notice any changes in your bowel habits — such as narrower than normal stools — that last longer than two weeks. Consult your doctor immediately if your bowel changes are accompanied by rectal bleeding or severe abdominal pain.
- General information about colon cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/colon/patient. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
- Beating colon cancer. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=3902. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
- Spiller R. Clinical update: Irritable bowel syndrome. The Lancet. 2007;369:1586.
- Irritable bowel syndrome. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK). http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs/#symptoms. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
