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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffA number of medical conditions — Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, bacterial infections and parasitic infections — can cause diarrhea and other signs and symptoms similar to those of pseudomembranous colitis. Because of this, you'll need tests to definitively diagnose pseudomembranous colitis and rule out other disorders.
Your doctor will likely order one or both of the following tests to help make a diagnosis of pseudomembranous colitis:
- Stool sample. A laboratory evaluation conducted on one or more stool samples can detect the toxin released by C. difficile. False-negative results are possible with this test. Doctors sometimes repeat this test if it doesn't show the presence of C. difficile when there are strong reasons to suspect the disorder.
- Colon examination. In a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, your doctor uses a tube with a miniature camera at its tip. The tube is advanced through your rectum and into your colon, allowing your doctor to examine the interior of your colon for signs of pseudomembranous colitis. If you have pseudomembranous colitis, the exam may show raised, yellow plaques or lesions within your colon, as well as swelling.
Your doctor may obtain an abdominal radiograph (X-ray) if you have severe symptoms to look for complications such as toxic megacolon or colon rupture. A computerized tomography (CT) scan to get detailed images of your colon also may be performed. The CT scan can show a thickening of the wall of your colon, which may suggest pseudomembranous colitis.
He or she may also order blood tests, because an abnormally high white blood cell count (leukocytosis) may indicate pseudomembranous colitis.
