IMPORTANT: We currently have a number of bugs related to image cropping and are actively trying to resolve them. In the meantime, we have disabled cropping. Apologies for any inconvenience. Stay informed: radiopaedia.org/chat

Ulcerative colitis

Case contributed by Frank Gaillard
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Long standing gastrointestinal disease.

Patient Data

Age: 40 years
Gender: Male
ct

No evidence of active bleeding. There is mild pan-colonic and rectal wall thickening, mucosal hyper-enhancement and increased mesenteric vascularity, compatible with the history of ulcerative colitis. No terminal ileal thickening. Trace of free intraperitoneal fluid. No free air. No evidence of toxic megacolon. Simple renal cysts. The remainder of the organs are normal.

Case Discussion

The patient has had biopsies: 

Histology

Biopsies from splenic flexure, sigmoid colon and rectum: Chronic inflammatory bowel disease with mild activity within the sigmoid colon and rectum. The histological features are consistent with the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis.

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.