Coeliac Disease and Microscopic Colitis: The Largest Study Assessing Prognosis and Risk of Hospital Admission

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 16; no. 13; p. 2081
• Main Authors: Raju, Suneil A, Rawcliffe, Megan E, Bowker-Howell, Freya J, Shiha, Mohamed G, Kaur, Kamaldeep E, Griffin, Jonathan, Cross, Simon S, Sanders, David S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Abdomen; Biopsy; Care and treatment; Celiac disease; coeliac disease; Colitis; Colonoscopy; Diagnosis; Diarrhea; Fecal incontinence; Females; Gastroenterology; Histology; hospital admission; hospitalisation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Irritable bowel syndrome; microscopic colitis; Prognosis; Quality of life; Remission (Medicine); Risk factors; Serology; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16132081

Microscopic colitis (MC) and coeliac disease (CD) are common associated gastrointestinal conditions. We present the largest study assessing hospitalisation in patients with MC and the effect of a concomitant diagnosis of CD. Data were retrospectively collected between January 2007 and December 2021 from all patients diagnosed with MC and compared to a database of patients with only CD. In total, 892 patients with MC (65% female, median age 65 years (IQR: 54–74 years) were identified, with 6.4% admitted to hospital due to a flare of MC. Patients admitted were older (76 vs. 65 years, p < 0.001) and presented with diarrhoea (87.7%), abdominal pain (26.3%), and acute kidney injury (17.5%). Treatment was given in 75.9% of patients, including intravenous fluids (39.5%), steroids (20.9%), and loperamide (16.3%). Concomitant CD was diagnosed in 3.3% of patients and diagnosed before MC (57 versus 64 years, p < 0.001). Patients with both conditions were diagnosed with CD later than patients with only CD (57 years versus 44 years, p < 0.001). In conclusion, older patients are at a higher risk of hospitalisation due to MC, and this is seen in patients with a concomitant diagnosis of CD too. Patients with MC are diagnosed with CD later than those without.