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Colitis can refer to either ulcerative colitis or crohn's colitis. The word colitis means inflammation of the colon which can be present in both diseases.

Ulcerative colitis usually starts in the rectum and progresses up the colon, however, by definition it never enters the small intestine. If the colitis affects the entire colon it is referred to as "pan colitis." Ulcerative colitis only affects the mucosal and submucosal layers of the colon and causes continuous diffuse ulceration and inflammation.

Crohn's disease is most often found at the ileocecal junction, or the connection between the small and large intestine. It can affect anywhere from the mouth to the rectum and often has both large and small bowel lesions. Crohn's affects all four layers of the digestive system (mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, serosa). The lesions in Crohn's are usually deeper and have higher risk of causing perforation for fistulas. Crohn's disease usually presents with "skip lesions" or diseased areas separated by healthy tissue.

Both disease can also have extraintestinal complications like Arthritis, dermatologic lesions, and oral ulcers.

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13y ago

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