What does Melanosis of the colon mean?

Introduction: Melanosis coli is a condition in which the colon develops a brown to black discoloration. It is associated with chronic laxative use and frequently diagnosed incidentally during colonoscopy or histopathologic evaluation.

Is Melanosis cancerous?

Melanosis coli is a benign lesion affecting the mucosa of the large intestine. There is a relationship between the presence of melanosis and anthraquinone laxative use. Melanosis coli is also observed in patients with colon cancer, but there is doubt whether these two conditions are related.

What is the cause for Melanosis?

Chronic laxative use, typically from the anthranoid group, causes Melanosis coli. Senna glycoside (Senna) is the main causative laxative. As the laxative travels down the intestinal tract, it remains in its inactive form until it reaches the large intestine.

What causes spots on colon?

Experts think the lining of the colon darkens — resulting in melanosis coli — when the cells in the colon are destroyed and an excess of the pigment lipofuscin is produced. The discoloration can vary from one person to the next. It may be slight or severe, and affect a small or large portion of the colon.

Which drug causes melanosis coli?

What causes melanosis coli? Melanosis coli usually results from chronic use of laxatives of the anthranoid group. Some examples of anthranoid laxatives are senna (sennosides; Senocot, Senokot EXTRA and others) and rhubarb derivatives. Many of these laxatives have been in use for hundreds of years.

What does Melanosis look like?

Typically seen on an endoscopy, melanosis coli is usually a dark brown or black color that can vary in darkness and intensity.

Can Melanosis turn into melanoma?

They confirmed that genital melanosis can clinically mimic melanoma but the typical age of onset is younger than for genital melanoma, which is usually in the fifth to sixth decade. A majority of lesions were found to stabilize or regress over time.

What happens if your bowel ruptures?

Rupture of your colon is life-threatening. If your intestines rupture, bacteria that are normally present in your intestine release into your abdomen. This can cause a serious infection and even death.

What does stool look like with diverticulitis?

Rectal passage of red, dark or maroon-colored blood and clots occur without any associated abdominal pain if there is no diverticulitis, but bleeding into the colon also may occur during an episode of diverticulitis. Blood from a diverticulum of the right colon may cause the stool to become black in color.

What does vulvar Melanosis look like?

Vulvar melanosis (VM) (also called genital melanosis/lentiginosis and vulvar melanotic macule) is a benign pigmented lesion that usually takes the shape of multiple flat asymmetrical macules, with a tan-brown to blue-black color, irregular borders, and variable size.

What is the difference between melanosis and melanoma?

Melanoma is a type of tumor, arising from the pigmented cells within the eye. In dogs, these tumors are usually benign but expansion can lead to secondary glaucoma. In cats, tumors are more likely to spread to other areas of the body. Melanosis is a non-cancerous tissue pigmentation, similar to a skin freckle.

How does melanosis coli affect the large intestine?

Melanosis coli is a condition usually associated with chronic laxative use in which dark pigment is deposited in the lamina propria (one of the lining layers) of the large intestine (colon). The pigment deposition results in a characteristic dark brown to black discoloration of the lining of the large intestine.

Where are the white lesions in melanosis coli?

The white lesions represent normal or hyperplastic lymphoid aggregates that do not contain pigment. 134 Histologically, the pigment in macrophages has a dark brown, granular appearance, and these cells may be located anywhere in the lamina propria ( Fig. 6-8A ).

Why are the tissues of Melanosis coli pink?

The tissues are normally pink. The color change happens after you use certain laxatives for several years to help you have a bowel movement. Melanosis coli is not cancer, and it does not increase your risk for cancer. How is melanosis coli diagnosed and treated? You will not have any signs or symptoms.

How does a colonoscopy diagnose melanosis coli?

As these laxative supplements pass through the colon, they become active and cause cell death and apoptosis in the lining of the colon, eventually causing dark pigmentation of the colon. Diagnosis is typically made by colonoscopy. Discontinuing laxative use usually leads to resolution of melanosis coli.