Presentation of Ulcerative Colitis amongst patients reporting in gastroenterology

Background: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the GIT that mainly affects the colon and rectum. Its prevalence depends upon various genetic, and environmental factors, and geographic locations. If left untreated it can lead to colorectal cancer which can be fatal. Objective: The current study is designed to determine the frequency, socio-demographic and presentation pattern of Ulcerative Colitis in patients visiting gastroenterology Method: Study was conducted at Gastroenterology Department of Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, from July 2024 to December 2024. Secondary data related to demographics, history, examination, laboratory and endoscopic findings of the patients was extracted using Data Extraction Form. SPSS version 23 was used for data entry and analysis. Data was presented using frequency tables and bar chart. Results: Only 33 (1.67%) patients who mainly presented with diarrhea were diagnosed as ulcerative colitis with higher frequency in females (60.6%) than in males (39.4%). The most common presenting complaints of the patients were chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and anemia and stool incontinence. Endoscopic findings vary from patient to patient depending upon the severity of the disease. Joint pain represented the most frequently reported extra-intestinal symptom within the patient cohort. Conclusion: Ulcerative Colitis affects individuals across all age groups with a higher frequency in females. The peak age of diagnosis is within 15-35 years age interval. Diarrhea is the typical presentation for Ulcerative colitis in our population. Most patients present an aggressive pattern that extends beyond the rectum and sigmoid colon posing increased risk and complications.