ULCERATIVE COLITIS IN CHILDHOOD

Forty-three cases of ulcerative colitis in children, seen at Duke Hospital during a 28-year period, have been analyzed with regard to the nature, course and outcome of this disease in the pediatric age group. Emphasis has been placed on the correlation of the clinical and laboratory features with the course and prognosis of the disease. Cases have been cited to demonstrate that the disease is serious, the diagnosis difficult, the course variable, and the prognosis unpredictable. A diagnosis of ulcerative colitis in childhood necessitates careful and continuous observation throughout the pediatric age and into adult life. Because of the chronicity, the complexity, and the seriousness of the disease, therapy demands the close co-operation of the pediatrician, the psychiatrist, and the surgeon.