University:
Western Sydney University
Course:
MEDI 2003 | Clinical Sciences 2
Academic year:

2024
Views:

230

Pages:

2
Author:

Mariam A. A.

Crohns disease and Ulcerative Colitis Presentations • Crohn’s disease: - • Ulcerative colitis: - Location: any part of the GIT from mouth to anus. Transmural inflammation: ✓ Involves all layers of the bowel wall. Skip lesions> non-continuous inflammation with skip area between affected segments. Symptoms: ✓ Abdominal pain ✓ Diarrhoea ✓ Weight loss ✓ Fatigue ✓ Extraintestinal manifestations. Location: limited to the colon only ✓ Starting from the rectum and the extending proximally. Mucosal inflammation: affects only the innermost layer of the colon. Continuous inflammation: typically, continuous without skip areas. Symptoms: ✓ Bloody diarrhea ✓ Urgency ✓ Tenesmus ✓ Abdominal pain ✓ Fatigue Pattern of involvement • • Crohn’s disease: Ulcerative colitis: - Ileocolonic: commonly affects the terminal ileum and the colon. Small bowel: may involve the small intestine alone. Perianal: fistulas, abscess and perianal skin tags. Rectosigmoid: often starts in the rectum extends to the sigmoid colon. Left sided colitis extends to the splenic flexure. Pancolitis: involves the entire colon. Complications • • Crohn’s disease: Ulcerative colitis: - Strictures: fibrotic narrowing of the bowel. Fistulas: abnormal connections between organs. Abscesses: pockets of infection. Malabsorption: due to small bowel involvement. Toxic megacolon: severe dilation of the colon. Colorectal cancer: increased risk, especially with long standing disease. - Primary sclerosing cholangitis: associated liver condition. Premalignant Potential • • Crohn’s disease: Ulcerative colitis: - Increased risk: long standing Crohn’s disease increases the risk of colorectal cancer. Surveillance: regular colonoscopies for cancer screening. High risk: patients with extensive colitis have a significantly higher risk of colorectal cancer. Surveillance: regular colonoscopies with biopsies for dysplasia detection.