Ulcerative colitis

[aanand.co.in]

Ulcerative colitis

Definition


Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, is characterized by abdominal pain and diarrhea. Like Crohn's disease, another common IBD, ulcerative colitis can be debilitating and sometimes can lead to life-threatening complications.

Ulcerative colitis usually affects only the innermost lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum. It occurs only through continuous stretches of your colon, unlike Crohn's disease, which occurs in .es anywhere in the digestive tract and often spreads deep into the layers of affected tissues.
There's no known cure for ulcerative colitis, but therapies are available that may dramatically reduce the signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis and even bring about a long-term remission.


Ulcerative colitis is a long-term (chronic) condition affecting the colon. The colon, also known as the large intestine, removes nutrients from undigested food and expels waste products through the rectum and anus when you pass stools (faeces).

Conditions that cause inflammation of the intestines, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, are known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD should not be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a different condition and requires different treatment.

Ulcerative colitis causes the colon to become inflamed and in severe cases, ulcers (painful sores) may form on the lining of the colon. These ulcers can bleed and produce mucus and pus.

Symptoms of ulcerative colitis include bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain, a frequent need to go to the toilet and weight loss. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe. For some people the condition is a minor inconvenience, while for others it can seriously affect their quality of life.

Ulcerative colitis is an unpredictable condition. Symptoms can flare up and then go into remission for months or even years.

The causes for the condition are unknown, though research suggests that both environmental and genetic factors are involved.


Symptoms

Ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease that damages the digestive tract lining. It's typically found in the colon and rectum.

Ulcerative colitis symptoms can vary, depending on the severity of inflammation and where it occurs. For these reasons, doctors often classify ulcerative colitis according to its location.

are the signs and symptoms that may accompany ulcerative colitis, depending on its classification:



• Ulcerative proctitis. In this form of ulcerative colitis, inflammation is confined to the rectum and for some people, rectal bleeding may be the only sign of the disease. Others may have rectal pain, a feeling of urgency or an inability to move the bowels in spite of the urge to do so (tenesmus).

• Left-sided colitis. As the name suggests, inflammation extends from the rectum up the left side through the sigmoid and descending colon. Signs and symptoms include bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and pain, and weight loss.

• Pancolitis. Affecting the entire colon, pancolitis causes bouts of bloody diarrhea that may be severe, abdominal cramps and pain, fatigue, weight loss and night sweats.

• Fulminant colitis. This rare, life-threatening form of colitis affects the entire colon and causes severe pain, profuse diarrhea and, sometimes, dehydration and shock. People with fulminant colitis are at risk of serious complications including colon rupture and toxic megacolon, which occurs when the colon becomes severely distended.

The course of ulcerative colitis varies, with periods of acute illness often alternating with periods of remission. But over time, the severity of the disease usually remains the same. Only a small percentage of people with a milder condition, such as ulcerative proctitis, go on to develop more severe signs and symptoms.

:
What are the Complications of Ulcerative Colitis?



Patients with ulcerative colitis limited to the rectum (proctitis) or colitis limited to the end of the left colon (proctosigmoiditis) usually do quite well. Brief periodic treatments using oral medications or enemas may be sufficient. Serious complications are rare in these patients. In those with more extensive disease, blood loss from the inflamed intestines can lead to anemia and may require treatment with iron supplements or even blood transfusions. Rarely, the colon can acutely dilate to a large size when the inflammation becomes very severe. This condition is called toxic megacolon. Patients with toxic megacolon are extremely ill with fever, abdominal pain and distention, dehydration, and malnutrition. Unless the patient improves rapidly with medication, surgery usually is necessary to prevent colon rupture.


Colon cancer is a recognized complication of chronic ulcerative colitis. The risk for cancer begins to rise after eight to ten years of colitis. Patients with only ulcerative proctitis probably do not have increased risk of colon cancer compared to the general population. Among patients with active pancolitis (involving the entire colon) for 10 years or longer, the risk of colon cancer is increased compared to the general population. In patients with colitis limited to the left side of the colon, the risk of colon cancer is increased but not as high as in patients with chronic pancolitis.


The current estimates for the cumulative incidence of colon cancer associated with ulcerative colitis are 2.5% at 10 years, 7.6% at 30 years, and 10.8% at 50 years. Patients at higher risk of cancer are patients with positive family histories of colon cancer, long durations of colitis, extensive colon involvement, and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), another complication of ulcerative colitis.

Since these cancers have a more favorable outcome when diagnosed and treated at an earlier stage, yearly colon examinations may be recommended after eight years of known extensive disease. During these examinations, samples of tissue (biopsies) can be taken to search for precancerous changes in the lining cells of the colon. When precancerous changes are found, removal of the colon may be necessary to prevent colon cancer.
Complications of ulcerative colitis can involve other parts of the body. Ten percent of the patients can develop inflammation of the joints (arthritis). Some patients have low back pain due to arthritis of the sacroiliac joints. Rarely, patients may develop painful, red, skin nodules (erythema nodosum).


Yet others can have painful, red eyes (uveitis, episcleritis). Because these particular complications can risk permanent vision impairment, eye pain or redness are symptoms that require a physician's evaluation. Diseases of the liver and bile ducts may also be associated with ulcerative colitis. For example, in rare patients with a condition called sclerosing cholangitis, repeated infections and inflammation in the bile ducts can lead to recurrent fever, yellowing of skin (jaundice), cirrhosis, and the need for a liver transplant.

Around 100,000 people in the UK have ulcerative colitis. The condition normally appears between the ages of 15-30.

Ulcerative Colitis At A Glance

• Ulcerative colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine (colon).
• The cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown.
• Intermittent rectal bleeding, crampy abdominal pain and diarrhea often are symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
• The diagnosis of ulcerative colitis can be made with a barium enema, but direct visualization (sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy) is the most accurate means of diagnosis.
• Long-standing ulcerative colitis is a risk factor for colon cancer.
• Treatment of ulcerative colitis may involve both medications and surgery.
• Ulcerative colitis also can cause inflammation in joints, spine, skin, eyes, and the liver and its bile ducts.

more details:
Dear Guest you need to login or register [click here to register] to use all feature of studytemple

or

Dear Guest you need to login or register [click here to register] to use all feature of studytemple

Similar Threads:

• Ischemic Colitis - A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated R

Reply in topic where links are dead so that someone can help you in updating with new links
Following links not allowed Here
http://rapidshare.com/files/..../Ulcerative colitis.pdf.rar
http://www.filefactory.com/file/
http://ifile.it/
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=
http://hotfile.com/dl/
Click here to buy