Ulcerative colitis is a long-term inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum. Its primary symptoms are abdominal pain and diarrhea mixed with blood. No single cause is known; genetics, environmental factors and an overactive immune response are all implicated, and the condition is generally regarded as idiopathic and, in part, autoimmune. Diagnosis is typically by colonoscopy with tissue biopsies. Treatment aims to induce remission with medications and then maintain it with ongoing therapy to prevent relapse. English physician Samuel Wilks first used the term ulcerative colitis in 1859 in a case report on a woman who died after months of diarrhea and fever, distinguishing the condition, on autopsy, from infectious dysentery.
Facts
Condition ClassInflammatory bowel disease (chronic) 2 Causative AgentNo single cause identified; genetics, environmental factors and an overactive immune system are implicated (idiopathic). 2 First DescribedEnglish physician Samuel Wilks first used the term ulcerative colitis in 1859, describing the autopsy findings of a woman who died after months of diarrhea and fever, distinguishing idiopathic colitis from infectious dysentery. Classification
ICD-10 ChapterXI: Diseases of the Digestive System 1 Communicable or Non-communicable Transmission Route Causative Agent
Causative Agent (category) Causative Agent (category)Idiopathic / Multifactorial 2 FAQs
What causes ulcerative colitis?
No single cause is known; genetics, environment and an overactive immune system all play a role.
No single cause has been identified. Sources point to a combination of genetics, environmental factors and an overactive immune system, and the condition is generally regarded as idiopathic and, in part, autoimmune. This is a record of what is currently held, not medical advice.
Who first named ulcerative colitis?
Samuel Wilks used the name in 1859.
English physician Samuel Wilks first used the term ulcerative colitis in 1859, in a case report on a woman who died after months of diarrhea and fever. On autopsy he distinguished the condition from infectious dysentery.
Connections
Associated With
Discovered By
Source Hektoen International: Sir Samuel Wilks (1824-1911)
Long-Form Articles
Treated By
Source Biological therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Enema
Source Ileostomy (Wikipedia)
Source Maintenance therapy (Wikipedia)
Source Photopheresis (Wikipedia)
Proctocolectomy, removal of the colon and rectum, can cure ulcerative colitis.
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Sources
1. Wikipedia: ICD-10
WikipediaList of chapters, Chapter XIQuote, List of chapters, Chapter XI
Diseases of the digestive system
2. Wikipedia: Ulcerative Colitis
WikipediaLead section
It is a long-term condition that results in inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum.
Causes section
No direct causes for UC are known, but factors such as genetics, environment, and an overactive immune system play a role.
Management section
The goal is to induce remission initially with medications, followed by the administration of maintenance medications to prevent a relapse.
Lead section, disease-category statement
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the two types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the other type being Crohn's disease.
Lead section, transmission-route statement
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the two types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with the other type being Crohn's disease.
View the Source 3. Hektoen International: Sir Samuel Wilks (1824-1911)
Hektoen International (A Journal of Medical Humanities)Article body
Under the name of ulcerative colitis he described in 1859 the inflammation of the distal part of the ileum and the colon found at the autopsy of Isabella Banks
- Discovered By: Samuel Wilks, Wilks biography, 1859 case
View the Source Wikidata: Ulcerative Colitis
Photopheresis (Wikipedia)
WikipediaTreated By: Photopheresis, Lead: treats Ulcerative ColitisQuote, Treated By: Photopheresis, Lead: treats Ulcerative Colitis
Photopheresis is also an experimental treatment for patients with cardiac, pulmonary and renal allograft rejection, graft-versus-host disease, autoimmune diseases, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis and ulcerative colitis.
Biological therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (Wikipedia)
Treated By: Biological Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Lead: treats Ulcerative ColitisQuote, Treated By: Biological Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Lead: treats Ulcerative Colitis
The previous treatment options had many shortcomings, and the introduction of biological therapy changed the way physicians treat Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Maintenance therapy (Wikipedia)
Treated By: Maintenance Therapy, Lead: treats Ulcerative ColitisQuote, Treated By: Maintenance Therapy, Lead: treats Ulcerative Colitis
This form of treatment is also a common approach for the management of many incurable, chronic diseases such as periodontal disease, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
Wikipedia: Enema
Wikimedia FoundationTreated By: Enema, Article text, use for Ulcerative ColitisQuote, Treated By: Enema, Article text, use for Ulcerative Colitis
Rectal corticosteroid enemas are sometimes used to treat mild or moderate ulcerative colitis.
Ileostomy (Wikipedia)
Treated By: Ileostomy, UsesQuote, Treated By: Ileostomy, Uses
Diseases of the large intestine which may require surgical removal include Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, familial adenomatous polyposis, and total colonic Hirschsprung's disease.
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