What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Also known as: inflammatory bowel disease, IBD, UC

Ulcerative colitis is an acute/chronic (symptoms come and go), mild to severe, inflammatory disease (with ulcers) of the lining of all or some part of the large bowel (intestine) that occurs mostly in children /young adults aged 10-20yrs. (unusual in children less than 5 yrs of age).

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the two commonest forms of chronic bowel disease collectively referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Some children (less than 5%) may present with symptoms not related to the bowel; growth failure, joint inflammation, skin rashes, eye problems, liver disease and others.

---

Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM