colonic ulceration

Etiology

• NSAIDs cause ulcers in the cecum & right colon
• isolated rectal ulcers are caused by
  • ischemia
  • solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS)
  • radiation
  • fecal impaction
• infectious causes include tuberculosis & amebiasis

Clinical manifestations

• abdominal pain
• hematochezia
• chronic gastrointestinal bleeding

Diagnostic procedures

• colonoscopy with endoscopic biopsy to rule out colon cancer

Complications

• intestinal perforation (rare)

Differential diagnosis

• inflammatory bowel disease
• colon cancer

Management

• stop NSAID
• treat constipation
• recognition of the patient with SRUS

More general terms

• gastrointestinal ulcer

More specific terms

• stercoral ulcer

Additional terms

• Crohn's disease; terminal ileitis; regional enteritis; granulomatous enteritis; chronic cicatrizing enteritis
• ulcerative colitis (UC)