What is the difference between Crohn's disease and Ulceretive colitis?

Question

How to recognize Crohn's disease and Ulcerative colitis right away?

Answer 1

It is very difficult to distinguish between CD and UC based on clinical inspection alone, as both are inflammatory processes that may cause diarrhea and bleeding. However, CD causes involvement of any part of the GI tract, from mouth to anus, and thus manifestations of the esophagus, stomach (i.e. upper GI bleed present as black stool), small intestine (malabsorption), or mouth (such as oral aphthous ulcers) are good clues that you may be dealing with CD rather than UC. In contrast, UC is limited to the colon and thus will not cause the extracolonic effects I mentioned.

Patient information may also help, as CD is seen in younger people (with high prevalence in Jewish people), while UC is most commonly seen in older people.

Otherwise, definitive diagnosis is based on endoscopic and histological evidence of specific etiology.

Answer 2

I Concur With onthoughtalone, but Would Add, Both Are Suspected to Have an Autoimmune Basis, Ways to Differentiate the Two, for Crohn's, the Small Intestine is Primarily Effected, for UC, One would Expect Bright Red Blood Per Rectum.

Answer 3

Crohn's Disease can affect any part of your intestines, and can involve the deeper layers of the tissue where as Ulcerative Colitis tends to only affect the superficial layers of large intestine and rectum.