Ulcerative Colitis

This is inflammation of the lining of the large bowel and in most cases the rectum is the most severely affected. Some patients have only one attack with inflammation confined to the rectum. When inflammation is confined to the rectum this is called ‘proctitis’.

Other patients have recurrent attacks of extensive inflammation requiring surgery – occasionally this has to be done as an emergency for life threatening disease. Fortunately this is becoming less common and most patients require just one episode of treatment and others can be kept very fit on maintenance treatment