In reply: I thank Dr Thomson for his kind comments. I sympathise with his attempts to eliminate the term “microscopic colitis”1,2 and would happily join him in this campaign. I agree it is important to tighten up the definitions of ambiguous terms. For example, “indeterminate colitis” is another term that continues to be used in different ways, despite attempts to clarify its definition.3
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW.
Correspondence: ncarr@uow.edu.au
- 1. Thomson A. Microscopic colitis — no longer an appropriate term? Am J Gastroenterol 1998; 93: 524-526.
- 2. Thomson A. Microscopic colitis: not just for aristocrats. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2007; 22: 773-774.
- 3. Tremaine WJ. Review article: indeterminate colitis — definition, diagnosis and management. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2007; 25: 13-17.
- 4. Carr NJ. Barrett’s oesophagus and columnar metaplasia: saying what we mean. Med J Aust 2007; 187: 519-521. <MJA full text>
Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.