Microscopic colitides: a single center experience in Mexico

Background/aim Microscopic colitis is characterized by chronic diarrhea and specific microscopic changes in a macroscopically normal colonic mucosa. In this paper, we report the clinical and histological features of a group of Mexican patients with microscopic colitis. Materials and methods Patients were identified from 10 years of data in the pathology database of our institution. A pathologist reassessed all biopsy material. We included only patients who met strict histopathological criteria. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. Results Microscopic colitis was diagnosed in 26 cases. The female/male ratio was 1.8:1. The median age at diagnosis was 56.5 ± 15.7 (range, 26–85) years. The most frequent symptoms were diarrhea in all, weight loss in 22 (84%), and abdominal pain in 18 (69%) patients. Sixteen (61%) patients reported associated diseases; autoimmune thyroid disorders were the most common. Drug-induced microscopic colitis was suspected in 12 (46%) patients. More than 80% of the treated patients improved or had clinical remission. Conclusion Microscopic colitis is an uncommon colonic disease at our institution, representing less than 1% of the final diagnoses in mucosal colonic biopsies. It is the largest case series of microscopic colitis in the Mexican population.