Megacolon: Often Medications Help
Case of a suspected megacolon, the doctor will order an X-ray of the abdomen. In this way, the intestine rapidly detect enlargement. Confirmed the diagnosis, the colon needs to be relieved quickly. This is usually done by an aggressive medical therapy, for example, with high-dose corticosteroids or tacrolimus . Shows this not, one is colectomy necessary: The surgeon removes the large intestine - if possible with sparing of the rectum and anus. He leads the small intestine, at least temporarily, on the abdominal wall using a colostomy (stoma) from. Once the patient has recovered, the surgeon tries, the voluntary control of defecation on a connection between the small intestine and after restore.
Emergency Surgery for Intestinal Perforation
In a toxic megacolon - but also for other reasons - there may be an opening (perforation). The tract then flows directly into the abdominal cavity and then calls in a short time produced a dangerous peritonitis. The life of the patient must then be saved only by immediate emergency surgery.
Other complications
Other complications of ulcerative colitis, blood loss through the intestines, and - very rarely - scars and bottlenecks in the intestine (strictures). Finally, it is also risk of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis patients increases.
Symptoms: Ulcerative Colitis
The most prominent symptom in ulcerative colitis is a bloody, mucous stools, some with up to 15 movements per day. There are also a pain, but they are mostly limited to the period before and after defecation. Other symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, weakness and sometimes fever.
Ulcerative colitis can also be felt in other organs than the intestine. Doctors refer to this case of extra-intestinal manifestations . Possible symptoms include the eyes, joints and skin.
Fistulas and abscesses speak against ulcerative colitis
In contrast to Crohn's disease intestine is in ulcerative colitis only one affected, also inflammation is limited to the mucosa (mucosa) limited to deeper layers of the wall are not affected. pus (abscesses) and transitions into the adjacent tissue (fistulas ) are therefore extremely rare and speak against ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease for more.
Caution in Severe Abdominal Pain and High Fever
In severe cases it can in very rare cases life-threatening complications occur. This includes in particular the intestinal perforation (perforation) and a massive expansion of the gut, the toxic megacolon. The complications associated with severe abdominal pain, a significantly increased heart rate (tachycardia) and high fever and often leads to shock. When a perforation sustained only by emergency surgery to save the life of the patient. In the case of megacolon can often provide a drug therapy problem.
Typical Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis are Summarized:
- severe muco-bloody diarrhea
- Pain, usually only before and after defecation (tenesmus)
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Discomfort in the joints, eyes, liver and skin.