OBJECTIVES - Inflammatory bowel disease

The student should be able to:

Describe the morphology and pathological consequences of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Describe common presenting symptoms of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Describe the clinical features suggesting possible toxic dilatation in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Discuss the investigation of a patient with suspected inflammatory bowel disease including sigmoidoscopy, barium studies and colonoscopy.

Describe the potential nutritional problems in a patient with Crohn's disease and describe methods of treating them.

Describe the medical therapy of a patient with inflammatory bowel disease including local and systemic steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and immunosuppressive therapy.

Discuss complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis that may require surgery and discuss the indications for surgery in inflammatory bowel disease.

List the extra-colonic manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease as they affect the skin, joints, liver and eyes and discuss the response to each to surgery.

Outline the risk of colonic malignancy in inflammatory bowel disease and how this should be screened for.

SKILLS

The student should be able to:

Describe sigmoidoscopic features of ulcerative colitis and typical radiological features of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis as well as being aware of the limitations of radiology in ulcerative colitis.
Develop a plan for the investigation of a patient presenting with bloody and non-bloody diarrhoea.