Open AccessManagement of Severe Attacks of Ulcerative Colitis with New Technologies
Author(s) -
Massimo Campieri,
Paolo Gionchetti,
Andrea Belluzzi,
M. Tampieri,
C. Brignola,
E. Bertinelli,
Vincenzo Arienti,
Primiano Ian,
M. Miglioli,
L. Barbara
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
canadian journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1916-7237
pISSN - 0835-7900
DOI - 10.1155/1990/353874
Subject(s) - ulcerative colitis , medicine , toxic megacolon , ultrasound , barium enema , gastroenterology , colonoscopy , perforation , enema , descending colon , megacolon , transverse colon , sigmoid colon , radiology , colitis , rectum , colorectal cancer , materials science , disease , cancer , metallurgy , punching
Barium enema and colonoscopy are contraindicated in severeattacks of ulcerative colitis because of the possibility of toxic megacolon andperforation. The authors have assessed abdominal ultrasound in 38 patients withsevere ulcerative colitis. Ultrasound revealed bowel wall thicknesses rangingfrom 3.9 to 9.2 mm (mean 7.7) extending the whole length of the colon, to thetransverse colon, and to the descending colon, respectively, in 18, 10 and eightpatients. The degree of bowel thickening was related to the severity of inflammationbased on clinical, sigmoidoscopic and histological evaluation. In twopatients, ultrasound showed a thin bowel wall distended without motility,suggesting the diagnosis of toxic megacolon (confirmed radiologically). Anexcellent correlation (95%) was found between ultrasound and technetium-99scanning. Ultrasound might be a reasonable first investigation in the assessmentof patients with severe ulcerative colitis
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