HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Biopsy results from last week - can anyone explain?

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/12/2013 7:07 PM (GMT 0)
I spoke with my GI doctor about my biopsy results from a scope he gave me last Tuesday (so about 9 days ago now). He described the following:

Biopsy shows colitis and non specific ileal ulceration with preserved villi - could be backwashed mucous/blood/stool due to inflammation lower down. Suspects this is what's causing the activity in the ileum.

What is "non specific ileal ulceration with preserved villi?" He said this could suggest Crohn's but he believes it is still UC. He even mentioned switching my Budesonide for Uceris if my bleeding/rectal inflammation doesn't go away soon.

I just don't know how to interpret that medical language, and Google is not smart enough to help. I would be most grateful if anyone understands what that all means and can explain.
Posted 4/12/2013 7:33 PM (GMT 0)
ileal ulcerations means that there are ulcers in your ileum (last part of your small intestines). preserved villi is good, meaning that the villi are fine and functional (also small intestine). If you google ileum and villi seperately that should tell you what you need to know. It would suggest Crohns just because it is in the small intestine. That is what I get from my limited Anatomy and Physiology education. Someone else might chime here to expand a bit.
Posted 4/12/2013 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
Backwash ileitis occurs in 10-20% of UC patients with pancolitis (inflammation of the entire colon). Backwash ileitis is merely inflammation on the terminal ileum believed to be caused by "backwash" from the diseased colon through the ileocecal valve.

Can't comment as to whether or not it suggests a CD diagnosis -- my GI does not believe it does (I had pancolitis with backwash ileitis). I also found a paper that concluded that the presence of backwash ileitis does not affect j-pouch outcomes, which suggests it isn't diagnostically relevant for differentiating UC and CD (citation here: https://www.medify.com/insights/article/21806956/backwash-ileitis-does-not-affect-pouch-outcome-in-patients-with-ulcerative-colitis-with-restorative-proctocolectomy). It just happens. Do you find that you have yellow bile in your BMs? That was the main sign of the ileitis for me (terminal ileum usually absorbs excess bile) and made my BMs particularly painful.
Posted 4/12/2013 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, it can be UC and backwash ileitis, duodenitis, gastritis and other SI/upper GI inflammation can present with UC and doesn't rule out a UC dx. But you'd have to rely on your pathologist/GI to interpret what you have. It could be either.
Posted 4/12/2013 10:55 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info.

I'm going for a CT Enterography on Wednesday to rule in/out CD.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply