INTERCHANGE BETWEEN COLLAGENOUS AND LYMPHOCYTIC COLITIS IN SEVERE DISEASE WITH AUTOIMMUNE ASSOCIATIONS REQUIRING COLECTOMY - A CASE-REPORT

Background-Collagenous colitis and lymphocytic colitis present with a similar clinical picture. Whether these conditions are separate entiti es or whether they represent different pathological stages of the same condition is an unresolved issue. Patient-This is a case of collageno us colitis following a fulminant course in which a colectomy was neces sary. In the operative specimen the thickened collagen plate, which ha d been present only two weeks preoperatively had been lost and the pat hology was of a lymphocytic colitis. Six months postoperatively this p atient developed a CREST syndrome and primary biliary cirrhosis. Concl usions-This case shows the lability of the collagen plate and the comm on ground between collagenous and lymphocytic colitis, and presents ev idence that these two conditions are different manifestations of the s ame disease. It also describes for the first time an association betwe en collagenous colitis and CREST syndrome and primary biliary cirrhosi s.