Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the large intestine, also called the colon.It is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In ulcerative colitis, the inner lining - or mucosa - of the intestine becomes inflamed (meaning the lining of the intestinal wall reddens and swells) and develops ulcers (an ulcer is a sore, which means it's an open, painful wound). Ulcerative colitis is often the most severe in the rectal area, which can cause frequent diarrhea. Mucus and blood often appear in the stool (feces or poop) if the lining of the colon is damaged.Repeated episodes of inflammation lead to thickening of the wall of the intestine and rectum with scar tissue. Death of colon tissue or sepsis may occur with severe disease.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are similar — so similar that they're often mistaken for one another. Both inflame the lining of your digestive tract, and both can cause severe bouts of watery or bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. But ulcerative colitis usually affects only the innermost lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum. Crohn's disease, on the other hand, can occur anywhere in your digestive tract, often spreading deep into the layers of affected tissues.
Because of the name, IBD is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome ("IBS"), a troublesome, but much less serious condition. Ulcerative colitis is similar to Crohn's disease, another form of IBD.
Ulcerative colitis is an intermittent disease, with periods of exacerbated symptoms, and periods that are relatively symptom-free. Although the symptoms of ulcerative colitis can sometimes diminish on their own, the disease usually requires treatment to go into remission.The concept of induction of remission and maintenance of remission is very important. The medications used to induce and maintain a remission somewhat overlap, but the treatments are different. Physicians first direct treatment to inducing a remission which involves relief of symptoms and mucosal healing of the lining of the colon and then longer term treatment to maintan the remission.Great progress is being made in the development of medications for treating inflammatory bowel disease.
Recently, - Lialda, a drug designed to induce remission in people with active ulcerative colitis, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, British maker Shire announced.
It marked the first time the agency has approved the drug's active ingredient, mesalamine, in once-daily oral dose, the company said in a statement.Mesalamines are a part of a drug class called aminosalicylates, which contain 5-aminosalicyclic acid (5-ASA), a well-established drug of choice and often a first-line treatment for patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis.As the first oral once-a-day treatment option for ulcerative colitis, the approval of Lialda in the United States is great news for patients and physicians when managing this serious condition," said Matthew Emmens, Shire Chief Executive Officer. "Once-daily Lialda is one of several medicines Shire expects to launch in the U.S. and Europe in 2007."
"In clinical trials, LIALDA proved to be an effective medication, providing superior rates of remission compared to placebo for people with ulcerative colitis," said lead study investigator, Gary R. Lichtenstein, M.D., director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "This is the first new mesalamine treatment to enter the market since 2000, filling a major void for physicians and people with ulcerative colitis and simplifying treatment of this disease."
It's estimated that up to 1 million Americans have inflammatory bowel disease. It occurs most frequently in people ages 15 to 30, but it can also affect younger children and older people. And there are significantly more reported cases in western Europe and North America than in other parts of the world.The chronic autoimmune disease affects 500,000 Americans, Shire said.
Lialda's safety and effectiveness were established in two Phase III clinical studies involving people with active, mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis, compared to a non-medicinal placebo. Commonly reported side effects included headache and flatulence, the company said.Lialda is generally well tolerated. The majority of adverse events in the double blind, placebo-controlled trials were mild or moderate in severity. Lialda is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to salicylates (including mesalamine) or to any of the components of Lialda.
Sometimes you may feel helpless when facing ulcerative colitis. But changes in your diet and lifestyle may help control your symptoms and lengthen the time between flare-ups.If you begin to lose weight quickly, has repeated bouts of diarrhea, or complains of abdominal cramping, inflammatory bowel disease may be the cause. Call your child's doctor if you notice any of these symptoms to ensure that your child gets proper evaluation and treatment.
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