Melanosis Coli Center - The Woodlands, TX
The Woodlands Gastroenterologist Doctors for Melanosis ColiType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in The Woodlands * Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Regional Digestive Consultants  Center for Digestive Disease  Center for Digestive Disease  Ali T Dural MD  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Greater Houston Digestive Disease Consultant  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Digestive & Liver Disease Consultants PA  Barry D Winston MD  Integral Gastroenterology Center  Gulf Coast Center for Neurological Disorders  Hari P Pokala MD  Stephen Kelly MD  Houston Digestive Diseases  Ahmad R Pacha MD  Sunil Reddy MD  Stephen Kelly MD  Texas Gastroenterology  Texas Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology Diagnostic Clinic  Sohaib A Faruqi MD  Ayub Hussain MD  Bharat Pothuri MD  George Nunez Jr. MD  Parendra Banker MD  Digestive Disease Consultants  Steven Ugbarugba MD  Gastronintestinal Disease Center  Vijaya Kaila MD  Houston Digestive Diseases Consultants  Michael W Stavinoha MD  Houston Digestive Diseases Consultants  Digestive & Liver Specialists  Digestive & Liver Specialists  Ronald M Rance MD  Howard M Sussman MD  Mohammad E Zafarnia MD  Pedro M Arguello MD  Digestive & Liver Specialists  Houston Gastroenterology Associates  Houston Gastroenterology Associates  Digestive & Liver Specialists  David T Nemoto MD  Gowrappala S Ramesh MD  Digestive & Liver Specialists  Alfredo L Viteri MD PA  Memorial Gastroenterology Associates  Vikram S Jayanty MD  Leroy Odom MD  M Radwan Al-Sabbagh MD  Narayana P Narayana MD  Garland W Gossett MD  Garland W Gossett MD  Hillcroft Medical Clinic  Midtown Physicians  Medical Clinic of Houston LLP  Medical Clinic of Houston LLP  Nisar Ahmed MD  Diagnostic Clinic of Houston  Alfred J Hernandez Jr. MD  Diagnostic Clinic of Houston  Antonio Bernal MD  John B Clemmons Jr. MD  Liver Associates of Texas PA  Nizar Charafeddine MD  Liver Associates of Texas PA  Marc L Kudisch MD PA  Houston Digestive Diseases Consultants  Alberto O Barroso MD  Margaret Bridges MD  Stuart M Dobbs MD  Atilla Ertan MD  Houston Digestive Diseases Consultants  Ray A Verm MD  Madhukar Kaw MD  Nasrullah Manji MD  John C McKechnie MD  Frank Meriano MD  Ian L Sachs MD  Ray A Verm MD  Peter J Schwarz MD  Stuart M Dobbs MD  Ray A Verm MD  Karen L Woods MD  Baylor College of Medicine Gastroenterology  Baylor College of Medicine Gastroenterology  Baylor College of Medicine Gastroenterology  Baylor College of Medicine Gastroenterology  Brian Douglas MD  Baylor College of Medicine Gastroenterology  Baylor College of Medicine Gastroenterology  Digestive Associates of Houston  F Lyone Hochman MD  Brian Kaplan MD The Woodlands, TexasUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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Melanosis ColiRead the Melanosis Coli article » What is melanosis coli?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. This condition is sometimes called pseudomelanosis coli because the pigment deposits consist of a pigment known as lipofuscin and do not contain melanin as implied by the term "melanosis." Lipofuscin is a cellular pigment that forms when cells are destroyed, often called "wear and tear" pigment that can be found throughout the body. The dark color of the intestinal lining may be uniform or patterned, and the discoloration may be slight or very pronounced. The intensity and pattern of the discoloration may even vary among different sites in the colon of a patient. The condition may also be reversed upon discontinuation of laxative use. In some cases, the wall of the colon appears normal to the eye, but microscopic evaluation of biopsies by a pathologist reveals areas of pigment in the colon's lining. The pigment in melanosis coli does not accumulate in polyps or tumors of the large intestine.
What are the symptoms of melanosis coli?Melanosis coli does not cause symptoms. What causes melanosis coli?Melanosis coli usually results from chronic use of laxatives of the anthranoid group. Some examples of anthranoid laxatives are senna and rhubarb derivatives. Many of these laxatives have been in use for hundreds of years. In 1997, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of the popular anthranoid laxative phenolphthalein due to fears that it might be carcinogenic (cancer-causing). Animal studies had shown that extremely high doses of phenolphthalein led to tumors in animals, but it has nev... Recommended Reading Related to Melanosis ColiConstipation facts
Other Related Melanosis Coli ArticlesEmergency Contact for The Woodlands
Nearby The Woodlands Hospitals *Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital Nexus Specialty Hospital Woodlands Campus St Luke's Community Medical Center The Woodlands Nexus Specialty Hospital Shenandoah Campus HEALTHSOUTH North Houston Rehabilitation Hospital Conroe Regional Medical Center Select Specialty Hospital Conroe HEALTHSOUTH Hospital of Houston Triumph Hospital Northwest Cypress Creek Hospital IntraCare North Hospital TOPS Surgical Specialty Hospital Houston Northwest Medical Center Tomball Regional Medical Center Triumph Hospital Tomball Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Memorial Hermann Northeast HEALTHSOUTH Humble Rehabilitation Hospital Kingwood Medical Center Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital Kindred Hospital Northwest North Cypress Medical Center Triumph Hospital North Houston Doctors Hospital Parkway Renaissance Hospital Houston Doctors Hospital of Tidwell Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital Select Specialty Hospital Houston Heights Spring Branch Medical Center Lyndon B Johnson General Hospital Cleveland Regional Medical Center Select Specialty Hospital Houston West Twelve Oaks Medical Center River Oaks Campus Triumph Hospital Town & Country Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital Dubuis Hospital of Houston Triumph Hospital Houston Central St Joseph Medical Center Riverside General Hospital HEALTHSOUTH Hospital for Specialized Surgery Healthbridge Children's Hospital of Houston Park Plaza Hospital and Medical Center Plaza Specialty Hospital West Houston Medical Center CHRISTUS St Catherine Hospital Memorial Hermann Hospital Kindred Hospital Houston Select Specialty Hospital Houston Medical Center Ben Taub General Hospital The Methodist Hospital Cornerstone Hospital of Houston at Bellaire Texas Children's Hospital University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center West Oaks Hospital Memorial Herman The Institute for Rehabilitation & Research Shriners Hospitals for Children St Luke's Episcopal Hospital Harris Quentin Mease Community Hospital Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Texas Orthopedic Hospital Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital Riveroaks Medical Center Sharpstown Campus University General Hospital The Woman's Hospital of Texas IntraCare Medical Center Hospital Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital Triumph Hospital East Houston East Houston Regional Medical Center Harris County Hospital District Texas Specialty Hospital Kindred Hospital Bay Area Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Colon Cancer
- Colon cancer is a malignancy that arises from the inner lining of the colon. Most, if not all, of these cancers develop from colonic polyps. Removal of these precancerous polyps can prevent colon cancer.
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Constipation
- Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
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Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
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Colon Polyps
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Laxatives for Constipation
- Laxatives for treatment of constipation include over-the-counter preparations such as bulk-forming laxatives, stool softeners, lubricant laxatives, stimulant laxatives, saline laxatives, enemas and suppositories. Some over-the-counter laxatives are not recommended for patients with specific diseases or conditions. Some laxatives may have negative adverse effects if taken over long periods of time.
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Colon Cancer Prevention
- Colo-rectal cancer is both curable and preventable if it is detected early and completely removed before the cancerous cells metastasize to other parts of the body. Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy (along with digital rectal examination and stool occult blood testing) are both effective at preventing colo-rectal cancers and detecting early colo-rectal cancers.
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Colon Cancer
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