Comparing Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease - Essay Sample

Introduction

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are inflammatory bowel diseases that show significant similarities in their pathophysiology and clinical presentation. Nevertheless, differences can be noted which aid in distinguishing the two conditions. This paper presents a comparison between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, their pathophysiology, clinical presentation, tests for diagnosis, and the potential related complications.

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Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's diseases belong to the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) group that cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn's disease is common at the end of the small intestine as well as the beginning of the colon (Hindryckx et al., 2016). However, it might affect any other part of the gastrointestinal tract ranging from the mouth to the anus. On the other hand, ulcerative colitis affects the colon only. It is characterized by the overreaction of the immune system and mistakenly attacking the mucosal lining of the colon leading to inflammation and development of ulcers or sometimes formation of open sores (Hindryckx, Jairath & D'haens, 2016).

The ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease present symptoms such as abdominal discomfort or pain, cramping, blood in the stool, overreactive movements of the bowel, constipation, anorexia, weight loss and fevers (Baumgart & Baumgart, 2017). Women can sometimes experience abnormal menstrual cycles. Diagnosis is critical for the two diseases as treatment is different for each one of them. Therefore, tests for both diseases are run to avoid misdiagnosis. Endoscopy is performed to determine the part of the GI tract affected. Endoscopy for Crohn's disease involve colonoscopy and upper endoscopy (Baumgart & Baumgart, 2017). Colonoscopy involves the insertion of the endoscope through the anus to observe the colon while upper endoscopy requires insertion of the endoscope through the mouth, esophagus through the stomach to observe the first part of the small intestines. On the contrary, endoscopy for ulcerative colitis only entails the insertion of the endoscope through the anus. Examination under the microscope for the two diseases involves a tissue biopsy. X-rays can also be taken in case of Crohn's disease, while chromoendoscopy can be applied in the case of ulcerative colitis to indicate the changes in the intestinal lining (Baumgart & Baumgart, 2017). Ulcerative and Crohn's disease may lead to complications such as over bleeding, bowel perforation, severe inflammation, and growth of cancerous tissue.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ulcerative and Crohn's disease are both inflammatory bowel diseases which indicate similar clinical presentations. However, their treatment is different, which makes diagnosis crucial for effective management of the conditions. Proper diagnosis is imperative and is essential for treatment to avoid possible complications such as over bleeding, bowel perforation, and growth of cancerous tissues.

References

Baumgart, D., & Baumgart, D. C. (2017). Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Springer.

Hindryckx, P., Jairath, V., & D'haens, G. (2016). Acute severe ulcerative colitis: from pathophysiology to clinical management. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 13(11), 654. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2016.116