Interchange between collagenous andlymphocytic colitis inseverediseasewithautoimmune associations requiring colectomy: acasereport

Background-Collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis present withasimilar clinical picture. Whethertheseconditions areseparate entities or whetherthey represent different pathological stages of thesamecondition isanunresolved issue. Patient-This isa caseofcollagenous colitis following a fulminant coursein whichacolectomy wasnecessary. Inthe operative specimen thethickened collagen plate, whichhadbeenpresent onlytwo weekspreoperatively hadbeenlostand thepathology wasofalymphocytic colitis. Sixmonthspostoperatively thispatient developed a CREST syndromeand primary biliary cirrhosis. Conclusions-This caseshowsthelability ofthecollagen plateandthecommon groundbetweencollagenous andlymphocytic colitis, andpresents evidence that thesetwoconditions aredifferent manifestations ofthesame disease. Italso describes forthefirst timeanassociation betweencollagenous colitis andCREST syndrome andprimary biliary cirrhosis. (Gut1996; 38:788-791)