What is the Difference Between Microscopic Colitis and Ulcerative Colitis

The key difference between microscopic colitis and ulcerative colitis is that microscopic colitis causes inflammation in the large intestine, while ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine and rectum.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of tissues in the digestive tract. There are three main types of IBD; they are Crohn’s disease, microscopic colitis (MC), and ulcerative colitis (UC). These conditions may have similar symptoms as well.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Microscopic Colitis 
3. What is Ulcerative Colitis
4. Similarities – Microscopic Colitis and Ulcerative Colitis
5. Microscopic Colitis vs Ulcerative Colitis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Microscopic Colitis vs Ulcerative Colitis

What is Microscopic Colitis?

Microscopic colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation of the large intestine or colon. This condition ultimately leads to watery diarrhoea. The inflammation caused by microscopic colitis cannot be observed by a colonoscopy since the colon tissue may appear normal with a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy. However, the inflammation in microscopic colitis can be observed under a microscope.

There are three different types of microscopic colitis: collagenous colitis, lymphocytic colitis, and incomplete microscopic colitis. Microscopic colitis has common signs and symptoms such as chronic watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps or bloating, unexplained weight loss, nausea, fecal incontinence, and dehydration. Moreover, it is not clear what causes inflammation in microscopic colitis. But researchers believe this disease can be caused by medications that irritate the lining of the colon, bacteria, viruses, autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease or psoriasis, and bile acid.

Microscopic colitis is diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, stool sample analysis (microscopy), blood test, and upper endoscopy with biopsy. Microscopic colitis normally may get better on its own. Anyhow, when symptoms are severe, it can be treated through diet (eat a low-fat, low-fiber diet, discontinue dairy products and gluten, and avoid caffeine), discontinuation of medication that trigger this condition, drugs that reduce inflammation (anti-diarrheal medications, steroids, medications that block bile acids anti-inflammatory medications, medications that suppress the immune system, and TNF inhibitors), and surgery.

What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Ulcerative colitis causes chronic inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine and rectum. It is one of the main types of inflammatory bowel disease. The typical symptoms that can be seen in ulcerative colitis are recurring diarrhoea with blood, mucus, or pus, tummy pain, abdominal cramping, rectal pain, frequent urge to urinate or defecate, inability to defecate despite the urgency, tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss and failure to grow in children. Ulcerative colitis is caused by stress, diet, immune system malfunction, and hereditary reasons.

Moreover, ulcerative colitis can be diagnosed through physical examinations, blood tests, stool studies, colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. Ulcerative colitis treatment normally involves either medication such as 5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immune system suppressors, biologics, anti-diarrhoeal drugs, pain relievers, antispasmodics and iron supplements, therapy, or surgery (proctocolectomy).

What are the Similarities Between Microscopic Colitis and Ulcerative Colitis?

• Microscopic colitis and ulcerative colitis are two main types of inflammatory bowel disease.
• Both conditions can affect the large intestine and trigger inflammation.
• These conditions may have similar symptoms, such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and cramps, frequent urgency to urinate, weight loss, etc.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood tests, and stool studies.
• They are mainly treated through specific medications and surgeries.

What is the Difference Between Microscopic Colitis and Ulcerative Colitis?

Microscopic colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the large intestine, while ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine and rectum. Thus, this is the key difference between microscopic colitis and ulcerative colitis. Furthermore, microscopic colitis mainly triggers watery diarrhoea, while ulcerative colitis mainly triggers bloody diarrhoea.

The below infographic presents the differences between microscopic colitis and ulcerative colitis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Microscopic Colitis vs Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of diseases that cause severe tummy pain and diarrhoea. There are three conditions categorized under inflammatory bowel disease: Crohn’s disease, microscopic colitis (MC), and ulcerative colitis (UC). Crohn’s disease affects the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. Microscopic colitis mainly results in inflammation in the large intestine. Ulcerative colitis mainly causes inflammation in the large intestine and rectum. So, this summarizes the difference between microscopic colitis and ulcerative colitis.

Reference:

1. “Microscopic Colitis: Treatment, Symptoms & What It Is.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Ulcerative Colitis.” Mayo Clinic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Collagenous colitis – intermed mag” By Nephron – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Severe ulcerative colitis” By Mikael Häggström, M.D. – Own work (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia