Crohn's Disease + Microscopic Colitis - what a nice combo!

[braveheart]

I've had Crohn in my ileum for more than 20 years and now doctors suspect I also suffer from Microscopic Colitis. Isn't this fantastic? :ybatty:
They saw it in the last scan, now they want to it in a biopsy collection scheduled next month.

How on hell can some have these two rare diseases together? Aren’t they the same?

 

[D Bergy]

I don' t envy your diagnosis. I don't know a lot about microscopic colitis but from what I have read, it often resolves itself over time.

Hopefully, you will not have it for too long. One disease is enough for any of us.

Good luck.

Dan

 

[David]

When you say they saw it on the last scan, what kind of scan was performed that showcased microscopic colitis?

 

[braveheart]

It was a multislice computed tomography. They gave me two kinds of contrast material, drinkable and injectable.
They found thickening of the wall of some pieces of the colon and a "hypodense halo" inside the wall of the colon.

The biopsy collection should confirm this Microscopic Colitis diagnosis.

What I do not understand is why doctors come up with a new disease if I had Crohn for years. Aren't they the same? Any ideas?

 

[David]

Microscopic Colitis and Crohn's Disease are not the same disease, no. The thing is, microscopic colitis is microscopic in nature. As far as I know, it should not cause visible structural changes to the bowel like they're speaking of. It can cause the layer beneath the mucosa to thicken due to deposits of collagen, but I wasn't aware that was visible on CT. But I'm paging Aussie as they would know better than me as I don't want to give you misinformation.

 

[Aussie]

Hi David and Braveheart. I'm suprised your doctor would suggest microscopic colitis based on a CT. Microscopic colitis is just that, you diagnose it under the microscope.

If you have thickening of the colon on CT, then that would be more likely related to the Crohns or another aetiology, you can be sure that microscopic colitis wouldn't cause thickening - there are two forms of microscopic colitis, firstly lymphocytic colitis has an increased number of lymphocytes in the colon wall, then collagenous colitis which has the increased lymphocytes but also a thickened collagen layer (although hat thickening is measured in microns) so you can see this would not be appreciable to the naked eye.

The halo sign is more commonly seen with intussuception of the bowel (one section telescopes into another).

Best wishes.

 

[braveheart]

Aussie, David,

I appreciate your comments.

I understand there is something wrong in my colon, but I as per your comments and some researching on the internet I think it couldn't be Microscopic Colitis.
I will discuss this with my doctors.

I will take the colonoscopy path anyway. My colon was perfectly right for years. I've done lots of tests 20 months ago before a small bowel surgery. And now they found some strange things. This annoys me a little bit. It looks like I've develop thickening and the halo in only 20 months, which is possible but sounds strange to me.

Thanks!

 

[David]

A colonoscopy sounds good to me. Good luck and let us know what they find

 

[braveheart]

Colonoscopy is tomorrow afternon. I am drinking a gallon of laxative. Whish me luck

 

[David]

How did it go braveheart?

 

[braveheart]

It was fine. They knocked me out with anesthesia and I did not suffer at all. They checked the entire digestive system from the both ends.

They gave me the first result of what they saw in the pictures they took. It was surprisingly good. They almost not see anything abnormal. No lesions. No narrowing. They just found a whitish scar near the rectum, which they say that means there was a lesion there before. I am glad they haven’t seen anything complicated there but at the same time I think it is strange since I do not feel that well.

Now I have to wait for the biopsies, that report will be available in the mid December. I will let you know. Regards.