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Background: Colitis is generally considered a risk factor for colon neoplasia. However, not all types of colitis seem to have equal neoplastic transformation potential., Aim: To determine the prevalence of colorectal polyps in a predominantly African American population with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Non-IBD/Non-Infectious Colitis (NIC)., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated medical records of 1060 patients previously identified with colitis at Howard University Hospital, based on ICD-10 code. Among these, 485 patients were included in the study: 70 IBD and 415 NIC based on a thorough review of colonoscopy, pathology and clinical reports. Logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the risk of polyps in patients with IBD compared to those with NIC after adjusting for age and sex. A subgroup analysis within the IBD group was performed., Results: Of the 485 patients, 415 were NIC and 70 were IBD. Seventy-three percent of the NIC patients and 81% of the IBD patients were African Americans. Forty six percent of IBD and 41% of NIC cases were male. IBD patients were younger than NIC patients (median age of 38 years vs. 50, P < 0.001). The prevalence of all types of polyps was 15.7 and 8.2% in the IBD and NIC groups, respectively (P = 0.045). Among patients with polyps, the prevalence of inflammatory polyps was higher in the IBD group (55%) compared to the NIC group (12%). After adjusting for age, sex and race, odds ratio of inflammatory polyps in IBD patients was 6.0 (P = 0.016). Adenoma prevalence was 4.3% (3/70) in IBD patients and 3.9% (16/415) in the NIC patients (p = 0.75). The anatomic distribution of lesions and colitis shows that polyps occur predominantly in the colitis field regardless of colitis type. More polyps were present in the ulcerative colitis patients when compared to Crohn's disease patients (27% vs. 5%, P < 0.001) within the IBD group., Conclusion: Our study shows that inflammatory polyps are more common in IBD patients when compared to NIC patients. Most polyps were in the same location as the colitis.

Background: Invasive amebiasis is not frequently seen in the United States. It is associated with considerable morbidity in patients residing in or traveling to endemic areas. We report a case series of patients with amebic colitis in a United States-Mexico border city to alert physicians to the varied clinical manifestations., Case Presentation: Nine patients were diagnosed with amebic colitis. Mean age was 56 (38-83), 6 were males, and all were Hispanic. Common symptoms were diarrhea (56 %), hematochezia (33 %) and abdominal bloating (11 %). The diagnosis of amebic colitis was established in the following ways: 8 patients by colonoscopy with biopsy, 1 by surgery for colonic obstruction. The diagnosis of amebic colitis was confirmed in 8 patients (89 %) by amebic trophozoites present in histopathologic sections. One patient was diagnosed with amebic colitis based upon clinical symptoms, colitis on colonoscopy and visualization of amebic trophozoites on stool examination. In the 8 patients in whom colonoscopy was done, 6 (75 %) had inflammation with rectosigmoid involvement and 5 (62.5 %) had ulcerations. Infection resolved after treatment with metronidazole in most patients; however, one patient developed a liver abscess and another had a colonic perforation and later developed a liver abscess., Conclusion: The occurrence of amebic colitis in this United States-Mexico border city hospital population was low, but in some cases potentially life-threatening. Physicians should be alert to the less common presentations of amebic colitis, such as overt gastrointestinal bleeding, exacerbation of inflammatory bowel disease, and the incidental finding of association with colon cancer, or a surgical abdomen. Rectosigmoid involvement was typically found on colonoscopy.

Background: There is currently little available information regarding the impact of ethnicity on the clinical features of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Migrating populations and changing demographics in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) provide a unique opportunity to examine the role of ethnicity in the prevalence, expression and complications of IBD., Objectives: To determine the demographics of IBD and its subtypes leading to hospitalization in the adult population of BC., Methods: A one-year retrospective study was performed for all patients who presented acutely with IBD to Vancouver General Hospital from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006. Data regarding sex, age, ethnicity, IBD type and extent of disease, complications and management strategies were collected. Clinical data were confirmed by pathology and radiology reports., Results: There were 186 cases of IBD comprising Crohn's disease (CD) 56%, ulcerative colitis (UC) 43% and indeterminate colitis (1%) 1%. The annual rate of IBD cases warranting hospitalization in Caucasians was 12.9 per 100,000 persons (7.9 per 100,000 persons for CD and 5.0 per 100,000 persons for UC). This was in contrast to the annual rate of IBD in South Asians at 7.7 per 100,000 persons (1.0 per 100,000 persons for CD and 6.8 per 100,000 persons for UC) and in Pacific Asians at 2.1 per 100,000 persons (1.3 per 100,000 persons for CD, 0.8 per 100,000 persons for UC). The male to female ratio was higher in South Asians and Pacific Asians than in Caucasians. The extent of disease was significantly different across racial groups, as was the rate of complications., Conclusions: These early results suggest that there are ethnic disparities in the annual rates of IBD warranting hospitalization in the adult population of BC. There was a significantly higher rate of CD in the Caucasian population than in South Asian and Pacific Asian populations. The South Asian population had a higher rate of UC, with an increased rate of complications and male predominance. Interestingly, the rate of CD and UC was lowest in the Pacific Asian population. These racial differences - which were statistically significant - suggest a role for ethnodiversity and environmental changes in the prevalence of IBD in Vancouver.

A case of collagenous colitis is reported. A 48 year old female who had been complaining of mild diarrhea had been under medication for a gastric ulcer. Colonoscopy revealed almost normal appearance of the colonic mucosa except for one hyperplastic polyp of the cecum. Specimens of the ascending, transverse and descending colon showed a distinctively thickened collagen band beneath the surface epithelium, 10-20 microns thick, which was irregularly distributed, even within the same specimen. In some areas, the thickened collagen band was found around the upper part of the pits. Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Azan staining and silver impregnation were positive for this thickened collagen band. Immunohistochemically, the thickened collagen band was weakly positive for collagen type III, but negative for collagen types I and IV. Plasma cells, lymphocytes and eosinophils were observed in the lamina propria in addition to intraepithelial lymphocytic infiltration. Capillaries were increased in the thickened collagen band. The arrangement of surface epithelial cells was irregular. Crypts were not distorted. Edema, diffuse or extensive fibrosis and congestion were not found. Through these findings the patient was diagnosed as having collagenous colitis. Many cases of this had been reported in western countries, but very few in Japan. The Japanese literature was reviewed for cases of collagenous colitis and it was found that only two cases had been presented.

Schistosomiasis is rare in Israel but very common in Africa. The recent Ethiopian immigration has brought us cases of parasitic diseases unfamiliar to Israeli physicians. 3 cases with uncommon manifestations of colonic schistosomiasis are described. The first had bloody diarrhea for 4 years. The second had co-infection with Salmonella D. The third was diagnosed as having schistosomal colitis on routine sigmoidoscopy, which was performed following diagnosis of rectal carcinoma in her brother.

Using a half-century of death records from San Antonio/Bexar County, Texas, we examine the timing and cause structure of Spanish surname and Anglo infant mortality. Our findings show that despite the substantial disparities between ethnic-specific infant mortality rates in the early years of the study, there have been consistent declines in overall, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality for both groups, as well as a major convergence of mortality rates between Spanish surname and Anglo infants. Further, we demonstrate that the convergence is of relatively recent origin and is due primarily to shifts in postneonatal mortality. Finally, we examine the transition reflected in the cause structure of ethnic-specific infant mortality and show that the convergence was largely the result of reductions in deaths from exogenous causes. Implications for research into the "epidemiologic paradox" are discussed.