Reducing the Need for Random Colonic Biopsies in Patients With Diarrhea

To the Editor: We read the study by Macaigne et al. (1). This is an important paper reporting on the characteristics of patients with microscopic colitis (MC), compared with those with functional bowel disease with diarrhea. The authors reproduced the results of other investigators that have examined this issue (2, 3, 4, 5, 6), demonstrating that those with MC were more likely to be aged >50 years, to report weight loss, to have a duration of diarrhea <12 months, to have recently commenced a new drug, and to have coexistent autoimmune disease.