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A test result · Colon · see where this sits
Inflammation (colitis)
Your biopsy showed inflammation — colitis. You want to know what’s causing it and what happens now.
- Inflammation has many causes, most manageable
- This is information, not an emergency
- It points your care team to the right next step
- Many causes settle with treatment
What colitis means
Colitis simply means inflammation in the lining of the colon. It’s a finding, not a single diagnosis — the cause can be an infection, a medication, reduced blood flow, microscopic colitis, or inflammatory bowel disease. The pattern under the microscope, together with your symptoms, is what points to which.
- Colitis = inflammation of the colon lining (a finding, not one diagnosis)
- Causes span infection, medication, reduced blood flow, microscopic colitis, IBD
- The biopsy pattern plus your symptoms point to which one
- Treatment follows the cause — some settle on their own, some need medicine
What happens next
Your provider will put the biopsy together with your history to find the cause and decide whether treatment or further testing is needed. Some colitis needs only time; some needs specific medication. The next conversation is the important step.
Common questions
Does colitis mean I have IBD?
Not necessarily. IBD is one cause; infections, medications, and microscopic colitis are others. The biopsy pattern and your symptoms sort it out.
Will it go away?
Many causes settle, some with treatment. A few are ongoing and managed long-term. Your provider will tell you which applies to you.
Take the tools you need to move your care forward.
Continue in IBD OS
If this turns out to be inflammatory bowel disease, IBD OS continues from here — tracking symptoms and activity over time. But the first step is the conversation with your provider about what’s driving the inflammation.
An activity-index trend to bring to your IBD team.
This is one to talk through with your team.
Call the office to discuss what the inflammation means for you and whether any treatment is needed.
Appointments are with Rochester Gastroenterology Associates — for patients in the greater Western New York area.
When to call urgently →