At a routine annual pouchoscopy they determined I have chronic pouchitis. I have had no pouchitis symptoms for years. How should i interpret all of this?
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It’s arguably unsurprising. Many (most?) pouches have a little bit of inflammation. Did they want you to start any treatment?
No. During the pouchoscopy they thought the pouch looked great at the mayo clinic
If this was just a finding from the biopsies then it’s likely to be irrelevant. I would suggest a conversation with your GI to make sure you’re on the same page.
I really respect your opinion as I have read your posts over the years. Why are biopsies irrelevant?
Herb: biopsies that show some mild inflammation are irrelevant. I have had a J Pouch for 30 years and have had 30 years of biopsies showing inflammation. Unlike you, however, my inflammation is visible on scope and needs to be treated. A biopsy that should worry you is the one that shows dysplasia in your rectal cuff. I presume they biopsy your and everyone else's cuff on scope because that is the only colonic tissue in your body and the place where a cancer is most likely to start, although they are very rare in pouches.
As CT said, it’s not that biopsies are always irrelevant, but a biopsy that shows mild inflammation in a pouch that both looks and functions well is not worth paying much attention to. It’s a common finding that typically doesn’t lead to anything worse.