Colopathies of the old adults

The increase of life-time together with the improvement of the social, sanitary and medical cares lead to the apparition of a cohort of «very old» subjects. The prevalence of symptoms com- patible with colopathies among the olders is impressive. The spec- trum of large bowel disease in the elderly is essentially similar to that found at a younger age but the incidence of some diseases increases with age. This review presents the specificity of colopathies of the olders and focuses the following medical topics : irritable bowel disease (IBS), clostridium colitis, ischemic disease, iatrogenous disorders. The specificity of the "geriatric" patients should be integrated into diagnosis and clinical management. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2006, 69, 304-312).