Overview
Pathological Varieties for Ulcerative Colitis
Clinic Classification of Ulcerative Colitis
The Dilemma of Treatments for UC
Chinese Herbs Can Induce and Maintain Remission of UC
Discussion
Ulcerative procolitis clinical course feature: mild
The disease is limited to the rectum and present in 30 percent of UC cases. Symptoms usually include diarrhea, bloody stool, and tenesmus, sometimes with constipation; rarely are they associated with the systemic symptoms of fever, loss of appetite, weight loss and general malaise. It is difficult to treat and is frequent in its recurrences.
Proctosigmoiditis clinical course: moderate
It affects the rectum and sigmoid colon; symptoms are diarrhea, bloody and mucous stool, cramps, and tenesmus. Moderate persistent and crampy pain is usually present on the left side of the abdomen when the disease is active.
Left-Sided Ulcerative Colitis clinical course: moderate to severe
The disease is marked by the inflammation of entire left or descending colon from rectum to splenic flexure. Symptoms include profuse bloody diarrhea, cramps, severe left side abdominal pain, weight loss and loss of appetite.
Pancolitis or Universal colitis clinical course: severe
The disease affects entire colon and symptoms include loss of blood with stool, excessive weight loss, anemia, fever and severe pain in the lower abdominal and an increase urgency to defecate.
Although the anatomic term may appear to be describing a severe form of colitis, in clinic the severity of the illness is not determined by the amount of colon involved. An individual’s
symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe whether the entire colon or only the rectum is involved.
Toxic mega colon or serious complications such as massive bleeding, severe
dehydration, acute dilatation or perforation of colon. Clinic course: very severe or dangerous; patient has to be hospitalized and/or undergo emergency surgery. (Ref.A)
Ref. A. Outines the symptoms, diagnostic procedures, and risks and benefits, several drugs and kinds of surgery to treat this disease. Digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colitis.