Medical treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Abstract

Ulcerative colitis is a disease of unknown aetiology in which colonic mucosal inflammation and ulceration result in rectal bleeding and diarrhoea. Most patients have relapses separated by long periods of disease inactivity, but a minority of patients have more chronic symptoms. The great majority of attacks of ulcerative colitis settle with prompt medical management but in the few cases where this fails, colectomy is curative although generally leaves the patient with a permanent ileostomy. With good medical and surgical management, mortality from the disease should therefore approach zero.