Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

What are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis?

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases. They can be diagnosed in a variety of ways via colonoscopy or imaging findings.

What treatment options are available?

There are a variety of medical treatments, often managed by a gastroenterologist. You can need surgery for either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is mainly a colonic disease, so it may be that you can't be medically managed and need your colon removed. Crohn's disease can affect anywhere from the mouth to the anus, and it may be that you need surgery to remove part of your intestines because it's unable to be treated medically or has progressed to the point that surgery is needed.