Ulcerative colitis is a condition affecting the lining of the large bowel, along its whole length or in part of it, which shows itself from time to time in remissions and flare-ups. Patients have the complaint of diarrhoea with blood and mucus. The number of times the bowels are opened can rise as high as 20–30 a day. The complaints can sometimes go on for months and may call for treatment as an inpatient. These patients have to come for endoscopic and clinical follow-up at set intervals.
In pictures 1, 2 and 3 below, ulcers in the lining of the bowel met with during colonoscopic examination can be seen. Picture 4 shows the inflammatory polyps (pseudopolyps — these have nothing to do with true polyps) that can develop in patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis. In picture 5 you see a pseudopolyp in a patient with ulcerative colitis.
Sources
- Prof. Ali Tüzün İnce, MD — Kadıköy Endoscopy Center archive