Clinical Forms of Ulcerative Colitis and Their Features in Children

Abstract

This article presents frequency of occurrence of clinical forms of the disease depending on the localization and activity of the inflammatory process, their age and gender differences, risk factors and disease triggers, based on a retrospective analysis of 116 cases of children with ulcerative colitis at the age of 4-18 years. Comparative clinical, laboratory and endoscopic characteristics of total, segmental and distal colitis have been also analyzed. It was found that clinical activity of total colitis is characterized by more severe course of the disease, accompanied with systemic and local extraintestinal manifestations (OR = 4,504±0,506, p<0.05), more pronounced changes in hemo- and proteinogram parameters (p<0.05). Endoscopic criteria for differences in the clinical forms of ulcerative colitis are the presence of ulcers (OR = 9,667±0,645, p <0,05), erosions (OR = 3,569±0,429, p<0,05), contact bleeding (OR = 4,364± ,444, p< 0.05), changes in the vascular pattern (OR = 3,748±0,477, p<0.05). Correlation analysis of the relationship between clinical (PUCAI), endoscopic (Rachmilewitz index) and laboratory markers of the inflammatory process (leukocytes, platelets, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, γ-globulins, fecal calprotectin, hemoglobin) has been also performed, the criteria of which might be used to monitor the course of the disease and the effectiveness of therapy.