Microscopic Colitis Microscopic colitis is a type of inflammation of the colon, or large intestine, that can cause watery diarrhea and cramping. While it can be painful and unpleasant, it's much less severe than other types of inflammatory bowel disease.

It's called microscopic because the inflammation is too small to see with the naked eye. The only way your doctor can diagnose it is to take a sample of tissue and check it under a microscope.

There are two types of microscopic colitis:

• Collagenous colitis
• Lymphocytic colitis

The differences are minor and the symptoms and treatments are the same. However, the tissues of the two types of microscopic colitis look different under a microscope.

Microscopic colitis is not related to the more serious types of bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Microscopic colitis does not raise your risk of cancer.

A Visual Guide to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)