title: Ulcerative colitis.
abstract: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the colon, and its incidence is rising worldwide. The pathogenesis is multifactorial, involving genetic predisposition, epithelial barrier defects, dysregulated immune responses, and environmental factors. Patients with ulcerative colitis have mucosal inflammation starting in the rectum that can extend continuously to proximal segments of the colon. Ulcerative colitis usually presents with bloody diarrhoea and is diagnosed by colonoscopy and histological findings. The aim of management is to induce and then maintain remission, defined as resolution of symptoms and endoscopic healing. Treatments for ulcerative colitis include 5-aminosalicylic acid drugs, steroids, and immunosuppressants. Some patients can require colectomy for medically refractory disease or to treat colonic neoplasia. The therapeutic armamentarium for ulcerative colitis is expanding, and the number of drugs with new targets will rapidly increase in coming years.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ungaro
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehandru
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Ulster Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.
authors.forename: Patrick B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Nancy-Brabois, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Peyrin-Biroulet
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: jean-frederic.colombel@mssm.edu.
authors.forename: Jean-Frédéric
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Colombel
mesh_terms: D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D019804:Mesalamine