Which description best characterizes ulcerative colitis?

Which description best characterizes ulcerative colitis?

• A. Inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine causing urgent, frequent, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia, and anemia.
• B. Inflammation of the stomach lining causing heartburn.
• C. Inflammation of the small intestine causing steatorrhea.
• D. Inflammation of the pancreas causing abdominal pain and elevated amylase.

Answer: (A)

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects only the colon, causing mucosal inflammation and ulceration. This leads to symptoms centered in the large intestine, notably urgent and frequent stools that are often bloody, along with crampy abdominal pain, reduced appetite, and iron-deficiency anemia from ongoing blood loss. The description that fits best is inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine with urgent, frequent, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia, and anemia because it directly reflects colon involvement and the hallmark bloody diarrhea. The other descriptions point to problems in other organs or sections of the GI tract—stomach inflammation causing heartburn; small intestine inflammation with fat malabsorption; and pancreatic inflammation with abdominal pain and elevated enzymes—so they don’t align with ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects only the colon, causing mucosal inflammation and ulceration. This leads to symptoms centered in the large intestine, notably urgent and frequent stools that are often bloody, along with crampy abdominal pain, reduced appetite, and iron-deficiency anemia from ongoing blood loss. The description that fits best is inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine with urgent, frequent, bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia, and anemia because it directly reflects colon involvement and the hallmark bloody diarrhea.

The other descriptions point to problems in other organs or sections of the GI tract—stomach inflammation causing heartburn; small intestine inflammation with fat malabsorption; and pancreatic inflammation with abdominal pain and elevated enzymes—so they don’t align with ulcerative colitis.