Abstract
Endoscopy is the method of choice in the diagnosis and in assessing the extent and severity of ulcerative colitis (UC). However, if endoscopy is incomplete or contraindicated, transabdominal ultrasound (US) may be a valid alternative to detect disease extension and activity in UC. The main ultrasonographic features of UC include bowel wall thickening, alterations of the bowel wall echopattern, hyperaemia and loss of haustra coli. The degree of thickness of colonic walls depends on disease activity, being greater in active disease, and normal in the quiescent phases. Recent data also show that bowel US may evaluate the response to medical treatment in active UC and predict future relapses of the disease after therapy.
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Maconi, G. (2013). Ulcerative Colitis. In: Maconi, G., Bianchi Porro, G. (eds) Ultrasound of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2013_806
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2013_806
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