Ulcerative Colitis
• Definition
· Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease in which the immune system inappropriately attacks the colon.
• Overview
· Ulcerative Colitis is not very common and occurs in up to 15 people per 100,000.
· Ulcerative Colitis likely develops as the result of a genetic predisposition along with an environmental exposure.
· Ulcerative Colitis inflammation is likely due to the immune system inappropriately attacking normal flora bacteria in the colon.
• Symptoms
· Ulcerative Colitis symptoms include:
· Anemia
· Bloody diarrhea
· Lower abdominal pain and cramping
· Urgency to have a bowel movement
· Low blood protein levels
• Complications
· Colon cancer (risk of developing colon cancer increases over time with about two out of 100 patients developing cancer at ten years and 18 out of 100 patients developing cancer at 30 years)
· Toxic megacolon (dangerous dilation of the colon with risk of perforation of the colon, and obstruction)
· Sclerosing cholangitis (an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the bile ducts)
· Cholangiocarcinoma (cancer of the bile ducts)
• Treatment
· Steroids
· Chemotherapy
· Immune modulators
· Surgical resection of the colon
References
Chutkan RK: Inflammatory bowel disease. Prim Care 2001;128:539. [PMID: 11483443]
Posted on September 24, 2008
Medicues Health Talk
Recent Topics
- Emma Ruiz on Exercises to relieve back pain
- Rachel Moron on Cholesterol
- realcolloidalsilver on colloidal silver benefits
- realcolloidalsilver on silverwater
- realcolloidalsilver on colloidal silver
