Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flashcards
Overlap in sxs between different inflammatory conditions of the colon
- Abdominal pain
- Changes in bowel
movements - Bleeding
- Fever
Dysregulation of these three things = chronic inflammation
Gut bacteria
Mucosal cells
Immune system
Pathophysiology of Inflammatory bowel disease
- Abnormal levels of
immunoregulatory and inflammatory
cytokines - Excessive immune cell recruitment
and activation - Changes in the epithelial barrier
Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
- Inflammation, diffuse friability and erosions of mucosal layer of the colon. Usually bleeding
- Almost always involves the rectum
- May extend in a proximal and continuous fashion to involve other parts of the
colon - Relapsing and remitting episodes
Hallmark of Ulcerative colitis
Relapsing and remitting episodes
Ulcerative Colitis- Epidemiology
○ Ulcerative Colitis is 3x more common than Crohn’s Disease
○ Bimodal pattern of onset:
■ Large peak at 15-25 years of age
■ Smaller peak at 55-65 years of age
Ulcerative Colitis- Pathophysiology
○ Subsets of T Cells accumulate in the
lamina propria (mucosa)
○ In UC patients, these T Cells are cytotoxic to the colonic epithelium, leading to ulceration.
○ This starts distally, at the rectum, and progresses proximally.
○ Disease spread is continuous WITHOUT: skip area, fistulas, or severe perianal disease.
Ulcerative Colitis- Signs and Sxs
○ Onset: usually gradual and progressive, can be abrupt onset
○ Course: relapsing and remitting
○ Chronic (over 4 weeks) of frequently
bloody diarrhea
○ Mucus may also be present in stools
○ Commonly colicky abdominal pain
○ Tenesmus
○ Fecal urgency
Complications and Extracolonic Manifestations of Ulcerative colitis include:
■ Erythema Nodosum
○ Toxic Megacolon and malignancy are
more common for UC than Crohn’s.
■ Pyoderma Gangrenosum
Definitive diagnosis of UC requires _____
Endoscopy with Biopsy
● Erythematous mucosa with ulcerations extending
from the rectum to all or part of the colon.
● Uniform inflammation without intervening areas of normal mucosa (no skipping).
T/F Abdominal imaging is not required for the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis
T
What imaging should be avoided in significant acute UC?
Colonoscopy and Barium Enema should be avoided in significant acute disease (until inflammation calms down) because of the increased risk of perforation or Toxic
Megacolon
Two main objectives of UC management
- Terminate the acute, symptomatic attack/flare up.
- Induction and maintenance of remission
UC Treatment - for acute attack
Depends on severity of attack
* Mild acute disease: 1st Mild acute disease : topical (suppository)- Mesalamine (a 5-ASA) x 4-6 wks
* Moderate to severe: * Topical steroids, Oral 5-ASA agents (Mesalamine or Sulfasalazine ), Oral steroids- budesonide or prednisone
* Very severe or refractory: * TNF inhibitor (such as Infliximab or Adalimumab) with or without immunomodulator (Azothioprine), Can add PO steroid (prednisone)
UC treatment - Maintenance of remission
- Preferred: Aminosalicylates (oral or topical)
- Severe, refractory cases: 1 st: biologic agents- Infliximab (with or without an immunomodulator)
T/F Surgery can be curative for UC
T
T/F all patients with UC should get surgery
F - Surgery is generally only performed in those with severe disease (25%)
Patients with Ulcerative Colitis should be followed long-term by a
Gastroenterology provider with _____
colonoscopy every 1-2 years
The most common cause of death in patients with UC is _____
Toxic Megacolon
Crohn’s disease
● idiopathic, chronic inflammatory disease
● can affect any part of the gastrointestinal
tract from the mouth to the anus (which is
different than Ulcerative Colitis).
● inheritable risk
● Often waxing and waning of sxs, experiencing periods of symptomatic relapse between periods of remission.
“J Pouch”
Surgical option in UC
- Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis
Crohn’s Disease- Epidemiology
○ The age of onset has a bimodal distribution
■ Large peak at 15-30 years of age; slightly F>M
■ Smaller peak at 60-70 years of age
○ Most cases begin before the age of 30
○ Smoking increases the risk of developing Crohn’s, and those who smoke have a more severe disease process (more relapses).
Crohn’s Disease- Pathophysiology
○ Intestinal inflammation secondary to activation of Type 1 Helper T cells.
○ The inflammatory response – causes non-caseating granulomas throughout the walls of the intestine. Histological finding
○ Ulceration and hypertrophy of the smooth muscles, coupled with inflammation leads to a “Cobblestone” appearance, as well as “skip lesions.”
○ Strictures and fistulas are a common finding in Crohn’s as well, with fistulas forming anywhere in the GI tract.