A Case of Severe Melanosis Coli

Melanosis coli is a brownish discoloration of the colon mucosa, caused by the accumulation of pigment in macrophages within the lamina propria. First described in the early 19th century, the pigment was initially thought to be melanin, but it was later found to be lipofuscin deposited in macrophages within the lamina propria as a result of apoptosis.(1,2)