Ulcerative colitis
| Ulcerative colitis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Endoscopic image of a colon affected by ulcerative colitis. The internal surface of the colon is blotchy and broken in places. Mild-moderate disease. | |
| Medical specialty | Gastroenterology |
| Symptoms | Abdominal pain, diarrhea mixed with blood, weight loss, fever, anemia,[1] dehydration, loss of appetite, fatigue, sores on the skin, urgency to defecate, inability to defecate despite urgency, rectal pain[2] |
| Complications | Megacolon, inflammation of the eye, joints, or liver, colon cancer[1][3] |
| Usual onset | 15–30 years or >60 years[1] |
| Duration | Long term[1] |
| Causes | Unknown[1] |
| Diagnostic method | Colonoscopy with tissue biopsies[1] |
| Differential diagnosis | Dysentery, Crohn's disease, ischemic colitis[4] |
| Treatment | Dietary changes, medication, surgery[1] |
| Medication | Sulfasalazine, mesalazine, steroids, immunosuppressants such as azathioprine, biological therapy[1] |
| Frequency | 2–299 per 100,000 |
| Deaths | 47,400 together with Crohn's (2015) |
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the two types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the other type being Crohn's disease.[1] It is a long-term condition that causes inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum.[1]
The main symptoms of the disease are abdominal pain and diarrhea mixed with blood.[1] Weight loss, fever, and anemia can also happen.[1] Symptoms come on slowly and can be either mild to severe.[1] Symptoms usually happen between periods of no symptoms and flares.[1] Problems may include an enlarged colon (megacolon), inflammation of the eye, joints, or liver, and colon cancer.[1][3]
The cause of UC is unknown.[1] Some possible causes include genetics, environment, and an overactive immune system.[1]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 "Ulcerative Colitis". NIDDK. September 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ↑ "Ulcerative Colitis". Autoimmune Registry Inc. Archived from the original on 29 October 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wanderås MH, Moum BA, Høivik ML, Hovde Ø (May 2016). "Predictive factors for a severe clinical course in ulcerative colitis: Results from population-based studies". World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 7 (2): 235–241. doi:10.4292/wjgpt.v7.i2.235. PMC 4848246. PMID 27158539.
- ↑ Runge MS, Greganti MA (2008). Netter's Internal Medicine E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 428. ISBN 9781437727722.
