Background and study aim: Microscopic colitis is an increasingly recognized cause of chronic watery non-bloody diarrhea. ‎The diagnosis of microscopic colitis is mainly based on pathological examination of colonic ‎biopsy from patients with chronic diarrhea and apparently normal colonoscopy examination. ‎This study aimed at estimating frequency of microscopic colitis among patients with chronic ‎watery non-bloody diarrhea and determining the role of some risk factors for its occurrence‎.‎
Patients and Methods: ‎‎‎ This study included 60 patients with chronic watery non-bloody diarrhea. Colonoscopy ‎examination was done for all patients and biopsy was taken for histopathology. All patients also ‎evaluated by stool analysis, complete blood count, liver functions, kidney functions, thyroid ‎functions, glycosylated hemoglobin, tissue transglutaminase and pelviabdominal ultrasound‎.‎
Results: Microscopic colitis was diagnosed in 13 patients with 9 patients having lymphocytic colitis and ‎‎4 patients having collagenous colitis. The mean age of patients diagnosed with MC was about ‎‎45.7 ± 7.78 years and most of them were females (69.2 %). Patients with microscopic colitis ‎suffered from diarrhea for longer durations. Microscopic colitis was more significant in patients ‎with history of proton pump inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use‎‎‎‎.
Conclusion: Prevalence of microscopic colitis among studied patients was about 21.7% (15% lymphocytic ‎colitis and 6.7% collagenous colitis). microscopic colitis was more common among females‎ ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎.