Description
The specimen shows a length of colon, heavily pigmented; the mucosal folds have been lost, but
this is a post-mortem specimen where such changes may occur. The whole mucosa is lightly
pigmented, with several areas of darker pigmentation. This is a condition which sometimes occurs
with prolonged use of purgatives, associated with stasis of the intestinal contents. The pigment is
melanin-like, and is found histologically within mono-nuclear cells.