The human digestive system is susceptible to two dangerous inflammatory diseases, proceeding according to the chronic type and having similar symptoms - Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The main causes of the origin of these two terrible pathologies of the intestine, which have not only unpleasant and severe manifestations that interfere with a normal lifestyle, but also those capable of inadequate or untimely treatment, give very serious complications.
To diagnose these inflammatory autoimmune pathologies of the digestive tract is quite difficult. Usually a differential diagnosis is used for the most correct definition, but it can also cause difficulties, especially when nonspecific ulcerative colitis has the infectious nature of the occurrence. In this case, in order to identify small differences between NNC and Crohn's disease, additional examinations are needed.
How to distinguish between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease?
Despite the fact that these inflammatory pathologies are similar to each other, there are some distinctive features between them that help to establish an accurate diagnosis. He with these inflammations of the intestine is very important, especially in the case when surgery is required, which for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease has significant differences. Differences in these inflammatory pathologies can be manifested in the following studies:
The difference between the diseases seen in X-ray examination is that with nonspecific ulcerative colitis on an X-ray, it is practically impossible to detect healthy parts of the intestinal mucosa, and its structure tends to degenerate into cancer. And in the case of Crohn's disease, there is no complete lesion of the intestinal inner surface. The X-ray reveals that the areas covered with ulcers alternate with clean, albeit edematous;
With endoscopic examination performed for differential diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, it can be revealed that in the first case the mucosa is strongly edematous and has a loose structure, and in the second place, in the places subjected to the inflammatory process, a very narrow narrowing of the intestinal lumen is seen.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis differ in the place of localization in the digestive organs. With nonspecific ulcerative colitis, the formation of inflammation and pathological defects occurs directly in the rectum of the colon and affects it for the most part completely( totally).But with Crohn's disease, the entire gastrointestinal tract participates in this process, beginning with the pharynx and ending with the anal opening. Only here the degree of lesion of the mucosa in the area usually does not take more than 50%.
There are slight differences in these pathological inflammations and in concomitant symptomatology. They are difficult to identify without the help of a specialist, as they consist in the localization of painful sensations, which in Crohn's disease are observed in the right half of the abdominal cavity, and in ulcerative colitis - on the left. Often they can have a blurred character, that is, spill over the entire abdomen. This greatly prevents the patient from determining their exact location.
Both these diseases are serious and dangerous, therefore even mild symptoms of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis require immediate medical attention. And the earlier the patient turns to the doctor, the faster the differential diagnosis will be performed and it will be clarified which disease is present.
This will allow for an early appointment of adequate treatment, and, accordingly, the patient will have much more chances to quickly reach the state of remission, and also to extend it for a longer period.