Colon (tumor & nontumor)
Noninfectious colitis
Focal active colitis
Author: Hanni Gulwani, M.B.B.S.
Topic Completed: 1 May 2013
Minor changes: 4 December 2019
Copyright: 2003-2019, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Focal active colitis
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Clinical features | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) imagesCite this page: Gulwani H. Focal active colitis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/colonactivecolitis.html. Accessed August 7th, 2020.
Definition / general
- Nonspecific diagnosis that encompasses identifiable bacterial infections, infectious (acute self limited) colitis, and noninfectious active colitis (focal or diffuse)
Subtypes
- Focal active colitis: patchy architectural changes and inflammation; suggestive of Crohn colitis or acute self limited/infectious colitis; may also include some cases of treated ulcerative colitis, ischemia, NSAID related colitis and bowel preparation changes; does NOT encompass chronic colitis with only focal acute inflammation (Hum Pathol 1997;28:729)
- Diffuse active colitis: somewhat specific for active phase of ulcerative colitis, although also present in some cases of Crohn colitis, infectious colitis and diverticular disease
Clinical features
- Pediatric patients with focal active colitis have a much higher incidence of Crohn disease than adults (Am J Surg Pathol 2003;27:1134)
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Neutrophils in lamina propria, within epithelial cells (cryptitis) or within crypt lumina (crypt abscess)
- Inflammation, edema and hemorrhage of lamina propria
- Variable necrosis and microthrombi; often acute inflammation is more marked than associated chronic inflammation
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Active colitis
Cryptitis
