Description

The two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Unlike Crohn's disease, which can occur anywhere in the digestive tract, ulcerative colitis usually only affects the innermost lining of the colorectal tract. The most serious complication of ulcerative colitis is toxic megacolon, but other possible complications include dehydration, joint, skin, and ocular inflammation, colon cancer, liver disease, and perforated colon. This three-course suite examines the potential causes of this disease and outlines how it is diagnosed and treated.