Chronic non-ulcerative colitis - Causes

Causes of chronic colitis

1. Past acute intestinal diseases - dysentery, salmonellosis, food poisoning, typhoid fever, yersiniosis, etc. Particular importance is attached to past dysentery and yersiniosis, which can become chronic. Many gastroenterologists suggest distinguishing post-dysenteric colitis. According to A. I. Nogaller (1989), the diagnosis of post-dysenteric colitis can be valid only during the first three years after acute dysentery. In the future, in the absence of bacterial carriage, various other etiological and pathogenetic factors underlie the development of chronic colitis, in particular, dysbacteriosis, sensitization to augomicroflora, etc.
2. Parasitic and helminthic invasions. Chronic colitis can be caused by protozoa (amoebae, lamblia, balantidia, trichomonads), helminths.
3. Opportunistic and saprophytic flora causes the development of chronic colitis, usually with long-term intestinal dysbacteriosis.
4. Alimentary factor - irregular food intake, monotonous, predominantly carbohydrate or protein diet, depleted of vitamins and plant fiber; frequent consumption of hard-to-digest and spicy food, alcohol abuse. However, it is likely that the alimentary factor is more likely to predispose to the development of chronic colitis than to cause it.
5. Exogenous intoxications (poisoning with mercury salts, arsenic, phosphorus, etc.) and endogenous (renal and liver failure). Under these conditions, the mucous membrane of the large intestine releases toxic substances, which contributes to the development of inflammatory-dystrophic changes in it.
6. Radiation exposure - X-ray irradiation, radiation therapy, long-term work with ionizing radiation in the absence of proper measures and radiation protection. The most significant are the so-called "radiation" colitis, which occurs during radiation therapy of malignant neoplasms of the pelvic organs and abdominal cavity.
7. Taking certain medications. The development of chronic "drug-induced" colitis is possible with long-term treatment with laxatives containing atraglycosides, antibiotics, salicylates and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, digitalis preparations, etc.
8. Food and drug allergies. A frequent cause of chronic colitis due to the high prevalence of food and drug allergies. The allergic component is also present in the pathogenesis of many forms of chronic colitis.
9. Congenital enzymopathy. The most important due to its prevalence is disaccharidase deficiency (primarily lactase deficiency). In this case, there is constant irritation of the mucous membrane of the large intestine by products of incomplete hydrolysis of food.
10. Ischemia of the colon wall in atherosclerosis of the mesenteric arteries, circulatory failure. Ischemic colitis occurs mainly in elderly people.
11. Diseases of other organs of the digestive system. Chronic colitis quite often develops in patients suffering from chronic gastritis (especially atrophic), chronic pancreatitis with exocrine insufficiency, chronic cholecystitis, post-gastrectomy diseases, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer - the so-called "secondary" colitis. In the development of "secondary" colitis, the disruption of the digestive function of the intestine, the development of dysbacteriosis are important.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ]