page_title: Colitis
section_title: Types
hierarchical_section_title: Colitis / Types
caption_attribution_description: English: Low magnification micrograph of colonic pseudomembranes in Clostridium difficile colitis, less precisely also known as pseudomembranous colitis. Colonic resection. H&amp;E stain. The presence of pseudomembranes is not synonymous with Clostridium difficile colitis; pseudomembranes may arise due to other infectious organisms and/or bowel ischemia. As the name implies, pseudomembranes are not real membranes; they represent necrotic debris that is attached to the colonic wall and may vaguely resemble a volcanic eruption, when examined microscopically. Related images Low mag. Intermed. mag.
context_page_description: Colitis is an inflammation of the colon. Colitis may be acute and self-limited or long-term. It broadly fits into the category of digestive diseases.
  In a medical context, the label colitis is used if:
  The cause of the inflammation in the colon is undetermined; for example, colitis may be applied to Crohn's disease at a time when the diagnosis is unknown, or
  The context is clear; for example, an individual with ulcerative colitis is talking about their disease with a physician who knows the diagnosis.
context_section_description: There are many types of colitis. They are usually classified by the cause.
  Types of colitis include:
caption: Micrograph of a colonic pseudomembrane, as may be seen in Clostridium difficile colitis, a type of infectious colitis.
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