Ulcerative Colitis

A 67 year old man with a 20 year history of intermittent abdominal pain and loose, bloody stools that has been treated with steroids undergoes colonoscopy. He is found to have colonic polyps, which show dysplasia histologically. The patient subsequently underwent a proctocolectomy.

Questions

1. What type of disease process is taking place?
2. What layer of the bowel is involved?
3. What are the main features of this process?
4. What is the diagnosis? What other conditions are in the differential diagnosis, and how do you distinguish them?
5. What are the reasons for doing the colectomy?

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