Ulcerative colitis: Symptoms, Complications & Treatments
Ulcerative colitis is one of the most common inflammatory bowel diseases, with an incidence of 2.2-14.3 per 100,000 in North America. Mucosa, submucosa, and a continuous lesion involving the recto-sigmoid region confined to the colon. Major symptoms include diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and mucus stool. On endoscopy, mucosal friability and mucosal vascularity disappear with continuous lesion including rectum. Crypt abscess may also appear. Barium enema and sigmoidoscopy can be diagnosed, with the loss of haustration on the barium enema resulting in a distinctive lead pipe appearance. Subsequent complications include toxic megacolon, perforation, obstruction, and colon carcinoma. One of the most serious complications, colon carcinoma, is associated with the duration of the disease and the extent of the lesion, and the risk increases gradually if UC persists for more than 10 years. Therefore, colonoscopic surveillance with multiple colon biopsy every two years is necessary for UC patients. ...