Colon Lesions

Lesions of the colon can be caused due to several different reasons. They can be due to anatomic aberrations, infectious or microbial in origin, due to cancerous causes, due to vascular malformations, autoimmune or idiopathic (unknown origin) in nature. Colon lesions can be observed throughout the entire length of the colon, starting from the ascending colon to the sigmoid colon and the rectum. Angiodysplasia of the ascending colon is a lesion caused in the large intestine due to malformation of blood vessels. Angiodysplasia usually presents with unexplained bleeding in the digestive tract. Patients who suffer chronic loss of blood as a result of angiodysplasia may also suffer from anemia. However, the most commonly seen colon lesions are caused due to colitis, or inflammation of the colon. Colitis presents typically with a characteristic “colicky” pain of the abdomen. Colitis in turn can occur due to one of several causative factors.

Treatment of Colon Cancer and Other Types of Colon Lesions

Colon cancer or colorectal cancer is an important cause of cancer related deaths in the world. Treatment of colon cancers depends on the extent of invasiveness of the cancer. Usually, cancerous colon lesions are treated with surgery, chemotherapy or a combination of the two. Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disorder that can cause inflammation throughout the entire length of the digestive tract. Treatment of Crohn’s disease usually involves measures taken for relief from symptoms and control of progression of the disease. There is no definitive pharmacological cure for this disorder.

Diverticulosis and subsequently diverticulitis are lesions that are caused in the colon due to formation of diverticuli or pouches. The presence of these pouches in the colon is called diverticulosis and inflammation of the diverticuli in the colon is called diverticulitis. Hirschsprung disease is a congenital (present from birth) disorder of the colon characterized by presence of an enlarged colon, caused mostly due to obstruction of some part of the large intestine. Treatment for Hirschsprung disease is mainly surgical in nature. The surgery is comprised of two main steps: the first involves surgically cutting the redundant part of the colon and the second part involves re- joining the two separated ends of the colon.

Infective colon lesions are caused mainly by a type of bacterium known as Clostridium difficile. Such infective lesions are called pseudomembranous colitis. Severe and sharply obnoxious smelling diarrhea is a distinct symptom of pseudomembranous colitis. Treatment of infective colon inflammation is mainly by antibiotics. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is another lesion of the colon that is characterized by pain diarrhea and/ or constipation. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is treated by a combination of diet modification techniques and medication.

Preventive Measures

Diet modification mainly comprises of increase in fiber content. Most colon lesions, especially those caused due to retention of toxins can be avoided by undergoing colon cleansing procedures. These procedures infiltrate through the entire course of the colon and help by removing all the built up mucous, fecal matter and toxins. This is a good health practice that is known to have proven benefits on the general health of the patient.