title: Clinical and prognostic features of rectal sparing in ulcerative colitis.
abstract: Thirty patients with ulcerative colitis who had been followed clinically for more than 5 years were studied. Patients with total or left-sided colitis were investigated to evaluate the significance of rectal sparing in the prognosis of the disease. Patients were divided into two groups, one with complete or relative sparing of the rectum and the other with homogeneous lesions ranging from the rectum to the proximal colon based on endoscopic findings. The administration of topical corticosteroids seemed to have little effect on rectal sparing. However, the relapse index was significantly higher in patients with rectal sparing. The intractability index, representing the ratio of the duration of the active stage to the investigation period, was also higher, though not significantly so, in this group. The results suggest that rectal sparing may give information about intractability or a tendency to relapse.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oshitani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitano
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Obata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hashimura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology; D012008:Recurrence; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones