Glossary U
Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a long-term (chronic) condition affecting the colon. The colon, also known as the large intestine, removes nutrients from undigested food, and expels waste products through the rectum and anus when you pass stools (faeces).
(Conditions that cause inflammation of the intestines, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, are known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This should not be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a different condition and requires different treatment.)
The condition causes the colon to become inflamed, and in severe cases, ulcers (painful sores) may form on the lining of the colon. These ulcers can then bleed and produce mucus and pus.
Symptoms of ulcerative colitis include bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain, a frequent need to go to the toilet and weight loss. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe. For some people the condition is a minor inconvenience, while for others it can seriously impact on their quality of life.
Ulcerative colitis is an unpredictable condition. Symptoms can flare up, and then go into remission for months, or even years.
The causes for the condition are unknown, though research suggests that both environmental and genetic factors are involved.
Around 100,000 people in the UK have ulcerative colitis. The condition normally appears between the ages of 15-30. The condition is more common in people of European descent, especially those people descended from Ashkenazi Jewish communities (Jews who lived in Eastern Europe and Russia). The reasons for this are unclear.
There is no current cure for ulcerative colitis though there are a number of successful treatments that can relieve and prevent symptoms. These treatments can successfully control the symptoms of ulcerative colitis in 70% of all cases.
In the remainder of cases, surgery may be required to remove the colon.
Severe forms of the condition can be serious and cause life-threatening complications. However, due to advancements in the treatment of the condition, death from ulcerative colitis is extremely rare.
Urostomy
This is a general term for a surgical procedure which diverts urine away from a diseased or defective bladder. The ileal or cecal procedures are the most common urostomies. Either a section at the end of the small bowel (ileum) or at the beginning of the large intestine (cecum) is surgically removed and relocated as a passageway for urine to pass from the kidneys to the outside of the body through a stoma. It may include removal of the diseased bladder.
Ultrasound scan
Scanning with high-frequency sound waves