Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flashcards
What is inflammatory bowel disease?
Umbrella term for idiopathic inflammatory chronic conditions UC and Crohn’s
What is ulcerative colitis?
Type of IBD characterised by diffuse (continuous) inflamm of colonic mucosa. Has relapsing, remitting course.
Can be anywhere from colon to rectum.
Only innermost layer affected (mucosa)
What is Crohn’s disease?
Type of IBD characterised by transmural inflammation of GIT. May involve any or all parts, from mouth to anus.
Skip lesions.
Can occur in all layers of bowel.
Layers of large bowel?
4 layers (from lumen outward):mucosa, submucosa, muscular layer, and serosa
Muscular layer made up of 2 layers of smooth muscle: inner circular layer and outer longitudinal layer
Pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis?
Most cases in rectum, w some developing terminal ileitis
Oedema, accumulation of fat, and hypertrophy of muscle layer→ impression of thickened bowel wall.
Only involves mucosa
Formation of crypt abscesses and depletion of goblet cell mucin.
Undermining of mucosa + excesses granulation tissue→ inflammatory polyps/ pseudopolyps.
What is proctitis (in context of ulcerative colitis)?
When inflammation limited to rectum
Aetiology of ulcerative colitis?
Unclear
- Genetic predisposition
- Potentially autoimmune, initiated by inflammatory response to colonic bacteria
Risk factors for ulcerative colitis? (3 main)
Family Hx of IBD
HLA B27
Infection
Weak:
- NSAID use
- Not smoking or former smoker
Signs and symptoms of ulcerative colitis?
- Subacute onset <2 w
- Rectal bleeding and blood in stool
- Diarrhoea
- Diffuse abdominal pain and tenderness
- Spondylitis and arthritis
- Malnutrition and dehydration
- DRE: blood and mucus on glove
Uncommon: fever, weight loss, rash, uveitis
Ix: Non-imaging investigations for ulcerative colitis?
Stool study: negative culture and C. diff toxins A and B; WBC present
Faecal calprotectin: elevated
- Elevated w bowel inflamm. Useful in supporting differential of IBS vs IBD
FBC: variable degree of anaemia, leukocytosis, or thrombocytosis
ESR: high/ normal
Low B12 and folate
High pANCA
Ix: What is a pANCA test? (ulcerative colitis)
Testmeasures amount of peripheral antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA) in blood (ABs to neutrophils)
Ix: Imaging investigations (and respective results) for ulcerative colitis?
Abdominal XR:
- Thumbprinting
- Toxic megacolon (over 6cm diameter)
- Dilated loops
- Double contrast barium enema “lead pipe appearance”
Flexible unprepared sigmoidoscopy: acute
Flexible sigmoidoscopy/ colonoscopy: not acute
- Continuous erythema
- Ulceration
- Crypt abscess
- Loss of vascular marking
- Mucosal granularity
Biopsies: obtained during endoscopy
- Continuous distal disease, mucin and goblet cell depletion, diffuse mucosal atrophy, absence of granulomata, and anal sparing
Acute management for ulcerative colitis?
Nutritional support
Manage extra-intestinal manifestations
Corticosteroids (IV/ oral hydrocortisone, severity-dependent)
Hospital admission if acute and severe
IV fluids, and analgesia
ABs
Ciclosporin/biologicals
When is surgery done for acute management of ulcerative colitis?
Toxic megacolon (proctosigmoidectomy and ileostomy) or failure to respond to steroids in 48h
Colectomy (3rd line)
Management for ulcerative colitis when trying to maintain remission?
Mild: 5-ASA (aminosalicyclates- reduce inflammation of intestine) + biologics
Severe: immunomodulators + biologics
Surgery: if medical fails and complications