Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesHow Is Melanosis Coli Diagnosed?Cancer RiskTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
How Is Melanosis Coli Diagnosed?
Cancer Risk
Treatment
Melanosis coliis a condition in which the membranes lining your colon (large intestine) and rectum are discolored. Also calledpseudomelanosis coli, it occurs due to pigment deposits in the lamina propria, a layer of the intestinal lining.
This article explains the causes and symptoms of melanosis coli, as well as how the condition is diagnosed and treated.
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Symptoms of Melanosis Coli
Typically seen on an endoscopy, melanosis coli is usually a dark brown or black color that can vary in darkness and intensity. The color change tends to be more evident at the beginning and middle parts of the colon rather than spread uniformly throughout, but this can be different for every individual with the condition. On rare occasions, pigment changes may also be seen in thesmall intestine, a condition known as melanosis ilei.
Melanosis Coli Risk Factors
Healthcare providers most often see melanosis coli in patients who experiencechronic constipationand frequently use laxatives.
This has led to a confirmation of a solid link between the use ofherbal laxativesthat contain organic compounds found in some plants calledanthraquinonesand the appearance of melanosis coli. These laxatives are also commonly called anthranoids.
The intestinal discoloration may be seen as early as four months after you start regularly using herbal laxatives. Melanosis coli may be seen in patients who do not have constipation or use the anthraquinone-containing laxatives, though rare.
Anthraquinone-containing laxatives include:
Scientists don’t know exactly why these particular laxatives cause the pigment changes of melanosis coli. The best theory is that the purging effects of the laxatives damage the epithelial cells on the lining of the colon, creating pigmentation. As the damaged cells accumulate, the pigmentation also accumulates, and melanosis coli occurs.
Melanosis coli got its name because it was initially believed that the color change resulted from the pigment melanin. However, research shows that lipofuscin—a pigment associated with aging— is responsible for the dark color.
Since it has no symptoms, melanosis coli is usually found during an endoscopic procedure such as a colonoscopy or a sigmoidoscopy, a procedure that looks at just your sigmoid (lower) colon rather than the entire colon as in a colonoscopy. A healthcare provider may see melanosis coli himself or it may be found during the examination of a tissue biopsy taken during one of these procedures.
Women are more likely to be diagnosed with melanosis coli than men, probably because constipation is three times higher in women, which may result in more laxative use.Constipation is more frequent in women most likely because stool tends to move more slowly through the female digestive tract and because some women seem to experience constipation during their monthly periods.
Mostgastroenterologistsconsider melanosis coli to be a harmless condition. Studies have not found an association between melanosis coli and an increased risk ofcolorectal cancerin humans. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t one, but that a potential association is difficult to find and hasn’t been proven yet.
In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of the anthraquinone phenolphthalein in over-the-counter laxatives because of concerns that prolonged or excessive use could cause cancer. The reason for the ban was that animal studies showed that using large amounts of phenolphthalein caused tumors. However, phenolphthalein hasn’t been shown to cause tumors in humans.
One 2011 study of melanosis coli in patients with colon cancer found that the presence of melanosis coli increases with age, similar to colon cancer itself. This makes sense considering that the pigment responsible for melanosis coli, lipofuscin, is a product of aging (cell death). The study also found that there was no melanosis inside the tumors studied.
The reason for the lack of clarity on the subject has to do with the unclear association of constipation and cancer risk. Studies have shown an association between constipation and colon cancer, but it isn’t known why.
Some scientists think it’s due to the slowmotility, or movement, of bowel movements during constipation, which could result in carcinogens having prolonged contact with intestinal cells. Or it may be that the factors that contributed to constipation itself, such as a diet that’s too low in fiber, are the reason why this possible higher risk of cancer exists.
Melanosis Coli Treatment
There is no definitive protocol for eliminating melanosis coli, but your healthcare provider will likely recommend that you take steps to prevent constipation, including staying hydrated and eating a high-fiber diet, and that you stop using laxatives, especially those that contain anthraquinone.
Once these laxatives are discontinued, it’s possible that the condition will disappear within six to 12 months.
Bowel Training After Laxative Use
If you have depended on laxatives for a while, you may need to retrain your bowels to work without them.Bowel retraininginvolves:
This doesn’t address melanosis coli, but it may be needed to treat its cause.
When Is Constipation Considered an Emergency?
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Liu ZH, Foo DCC, Law WL, Chan FSY, Fan JKM, Peng JS.Melanosis coli: Harmless pigmentation? A case-control retrospective study of 657 cases.PLoS ONE.2017;12(10):e0186668. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0186668
Ricciuti B, Leone MC, Metro G.Melanosis coli or ischaemic colitis? That is the question.BMJ Case Rep.2015;bcr2015212404. doi:10.1136/bcr-2015-212404
Jamshed N, Lee ZE, Olden KW.Diagnostic approach to chronic constipation in adults.Am Fam Physician.84(3):299-306.
Biernacka-wawrzonek D, Stępka M, Tomaszewska A, et al.Melanosis coli in patients with colon cancer.Prz Gastroenterol.2017;12(1):22-27. doi:10.5114/pg.2016.64844
International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.Bowel retraining: strategies for establishing control.
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