Culture - colonic tissue

The health care provider removes a piece of tissue from your large intestine. This is done during a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy . The sample is sent to a lab. It is placed in a special dish that contains a gel. Bacteria and other organisms can grow in this gel. The dish is then stored at a certain temperature. The…

There is no specific preparation needed for a culture itself. However, you will have to prepare for the sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy if that is how your provider is getting the tissue sample. Speak with your provider about how to prepare.

Once the sample is taken, the culture does not involve you. Therefore, there is no pain.

Your provider may order this test if you have signs or symptoms of a large intestine infection. Colonic tissue culture is only done occasionally. More often, tests are done on stool to identify a large intestine infection. A colonic tissue culture is most often done only when other tests, such as a stool culture ,…

A normal result means that no disease-causing organisms have grown in the lab dish. Some "healthy" bacteria, called bowel flora, are normally found in the gut. The growth of such bacteria during this test does not mean there is an infection. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to…

An abnormal result means that disease-causing organisms have grown in the lab dish. These organisms may include: Clostridioides difficile bacteria Cytomegalovirus Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria Salmonella bacteria Shigella bacteria These organisms may lead to colon infections or diarrhea .

There is very minimal risk associated with the procedure. In rare cases, excessive bleeding could occur when a tissue sample is taken.

Fleckenstein JM. Approach to the patient with suspected enteric infection. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine . 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 262. Melia JMP, Sears CL. Infectious enteritis and proctocolitis. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's…