Frequency of Ulcerative Colitis in Patients with Bloody Diarrhoea

Background: Bloody diarrhea is the hallmark of ulcerative colitis. This study was conducted to know the frequency of ulcerative colitis in patients with bloody diarrhea in our set up. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, from June 2009 to June 2010. Fifty patients with bloody diarrhea were evaluated with colonoscopy and mucosal biopsies. Inclusion criteria were patients with bloody diarrhea of more than one month duration. Patients of amoebic and bacillary dysentery, elderly patients with predisposing factors for ischemic colitis, and those who did not consent for colonoscopy, were excluded. Previously diagnosed patients with acute relapses were also excluded. All patients were evaluated and prepared for colonoscopy on outpatient basis and were reviewed after histological reports. Results: Out of 50 patients, 29(58%) were females and 21(42%) males, with age range 16-45 years. Thirty-six (72%) patients had disease of moderate severity and 14(28%) had mild disease. In 29 female patients 10 had histology reports consistent with ulcerative colitis and in 21 males 12 had histology of ulcerative colitis. As a whole 22(44%) patients had ulcerative colitis and the majority of these were between 26-35 years of age. Conclusion: Frequency of ulcerative colitis in patients with bloody diarrhea is 44% and the majority of patients present between 26-35 years of age in our set up.