title: [Treatment of hemorrhagic rectocolitis].
abstract: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease usually localized to the mucosa of the rectum and colon. Its cause remains unknown. A few fundamental notions underlie the therapeutic approach: (1) UC generally evolves by acute episodes separated by remissions, and the therapeutic indications depend on the severity and periodicity of these acute episodes; (2) although UC is a usually benign disease it may kill in two circumstances: when a severe (or complicated) acute episode is operated belatedly, or when cancer of the colon develops; (3) the present medical treatment only has a suspensive effect on the disease; the maintenance treatment must be taken for life; (4) only total proctocolectomy can provide complete cure, and until recently this procedure required permanent ileostomy. The recently introduced ileo-anal anastomosis (after total colectomy and rectal mucosectomy) gives the same results and enable the natural anus to be spared.
authors.affiliation: Service d'hépato-gastro-entérologie, hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Modigliani
mesh_terms: D003082:Colectomy; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003125:Colostomy; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005944:Glucosamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy; D011349:Proctitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D012460:Sulfasalazine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; C028423:Salazopyrine; D012460:Sulfasalazine; D005944:Glucosamine
vernacular_title: Traitement de la rectocolite hémorragique.