What is colonic mucosa with melanosis coli?
Melanosis coli is a condition usually associated with chronic laxative use in which dark pigment is deposited in the lamina propria of the colon5. The pigment deposition results in a distinctive dark brown to black staining of the lining of the large intestine.
What does mild melanosis coli mean?
Introduction: Melanosis coli is a condition in which the colon develops a brown to black discoloration. It is associated with chronic laxative use and frequently diagnosed incidentally during colonoscopy or histopathologic evaluation.
Is melanosis coli reversible?
Melanosis Coli is a benign reversible condition with no malignant potential.
Can Melanosis cause cancer?
Most gastroenterologists consider melanosis coli to be a harmless condition. Studies have not found an association between melanosis coli and an increased risk of colorectal cancer in humans.
What causes melanosis coli?
Chronic laxative use, typically from the anthranoid group, causes Melanosis coli. Senna glycoside (Senna) is the main causative laxative. As the laxative travels down the intestinal tract, it remains in its inactive form until it reaches the large intestine.
What can cause Melanosis?
What causes melanosis coli? Melanosis coli usually results from chronic use of laxatives of the anthranoid group. Some examples of anthranoid laxatives are senna (sennosides; Senocot, Senokot EXTRA and others) and rhubarb derivatives. Many of these laxatives have been in use for hundreds of years.
What does colonic mucosa mean?
Colonic mucosa is a term used to describe the specialized tissue that covers the inside of the colon. The colon is a long, hollow organ and part of the digestive tract. It starts at the end of the small bowel (the ileum) and ends at the anal canal.
How is Melanosis treated?
There is no treatment for melanosis coli. According to research published in the British Medical Journal, it’s generally reversible within 6 to 12 months after a person stops using anthraquinone-containing laxatives.
Is colonic mucosa normal?
Normal colonic mucosa is pale pink, smooth, and glistening, and submucosal blood vessels are commonly seen throughout the colon (see Figures 6-6, A; 6-11; 6-12; and 6-13, A-B). Scattered lymphoid follicles, 2 to 3 mm in diameter, often with umbilicated centers, occur in the rectum and cecum (Figure 6-26, A-C).