Some terms which may cause problems
| Term | Problem | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Non-specific chronic colitis/non-specific colitis | May be misinterpreted as representing a diagnosis or a category. Avoid | Describe the features. Conclude with a comment on their lack of specificity |
| Colitis (as a conclusion, without further qualification) | May be misinterpreted as meaning ulcerative colitis | Qualify by suggesting aetiology or likely significance |
| Indeterminate colitis | Often used inappropriately. Causes confusion. Avoid, at least for biopsy reporting | Inflammatory bowel disease, unclassified (IBDU) |
| Colitis of undetermined type/etiology (CUTE) | As for indeterminate colitis. Avoid | IBDU |
| An unqualified diagnosis of microscopic colitis/indiscriminate use of the term microscopic colitis | Requires qualification | Categorise as collagenous or lymphocytic colitis if possible, or describe and interpret the features |
| Incipient crypt abscess | Imprecise. Avoid. | Cryptitis or crypt abscess |
| Consistent with/in keeping with/compatible with | Perhaps overused. Could potentially mean anything from ‘it might be’ the diagnosis to ‘it is’ the diagnosis | Convey the degree of diagnostic certainty as precisely as possible |