Biochemistry

Question 1

What is ulcerative colitis?

Answer 1

• Smoking is protective
• Onset is 15-40 years
• Location in distal colon
• Continuous inflammatory lesion distal - proximal colon
• Superficial inflammation
• Severe bleeding, toxic megacolon, ruptured bowel, colon cancer
• Pseudo-polyps

Question 2

What is Crohn’s disease?

Answer 2

• Affects females more
• Smoking aggrevates it
• Onset is 15-40 years
• Location in distal ileum and caecum
• Discontinuous, patchy, gut inflammation with skip lesions
• Transmural inflammation
• Stenosis, abscess formation, fistula, colon cancer, perforation

Question 3

What are the differentials for IBD?

Answer 3

• Appendicitis - usually more acute, infection symptoms
• Coeliac disease: FH, weight loss,, diarrhoea
• Gastroenteritis
• IBS: not usually weight loss
• Bowel cancer: usually older patients
• Diverticulitis
• Ectopic