Ulcerative colitis - Thumbprinting
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Ulcerative colitis - Thumbprinting
- Abdominal X-rays are often entirely normal in inflammatory bowel disease. Occasionally there are signs of acute inflammation indicated by bowel wall thickening.
- This image demonstrates extensive bowel wall thickening throughout the entire colon. Thickening of the haustral folds results in a 'thumbprinting' appearance (arrowheads).
Ulcerative colitis - Mucosal islands
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Ulcerative colitis - Mucosal islands
- This patient with known ulcerative colitis has 'mucosal islands' - or pseudopolyps - in the caecum.
- In ulcerative colitis, bowel wall inflammation extends proximally from the rectum. This X-ray therefore suggests that inflammation affects the whole colon.
- The large bowel is not visible more distally, because it does not contain gas.
Ulcerative colitis - Toxic megacolon
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Ulcerative colitis - Toxic megacolon
- This patient's colon is very dilated and there are extensive 'mucosal islands' indicating bowel wall inflammation.