Ulcerative colitis

Rectum

Gastroenterology

Inflammatory bowel disease

Cancer

Abdominal pain

Medicine

Colitis

Colonoscopy

Disease

Colorectal cancer

Internal medicine

Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can involve any aspect of the colon starting with mucosal inflammation in the rectum and extending proximally in a continuous fashion. Typical symptoms on presentation are bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, fecal urgency, and tenesmus. In some patients, extraintestinal manifestations may predate the onset of gastrointestinal symptoms. A diagnosis of UC is made on the basis of presenting symptoms consistent with UC as well as endoscopic evidence showing continuous and diffuse colonic inflammation that starts in the rectum. Biopsies of the colon documenting chronic inflammation confirm the diagnosis of UC. Most cases are treated with pharmacological therapy to first induce remission and then to maintain a corticosteroid-free remission. There are multiple classes of drugs used to treat the disease. For mild to moderate UC, oral and rectal 5-aminosalycilates are typically used. In moderate to severe colitis, medication classes include thiopurines,...

Ulcerative Colitis