What is the diagnosis, and what is this appearance called?
Ulcerative colitis is the most likely diagnosis. The featureless colon is referred to as having a lead pipe appearance.
What two complications of this disease are most dreaded?
Colorectal cancer and toxic megacolon.
Name some of the mucosal changes seen in this condition (not in this case).
Pseudopolyps, button-shaped ulcers, filiform hyperplastic polyps.
What features would suggest a malignant stricture?
Heaped up edges, mural thickening >1.5 cm, shouldering and mucosal destruction..
A featureless descending and sigmoid colon, lacking normal haustral marking is demonstrated. There are no stenoses or masses. No evidence of fistula formation.
The ascending and transverse colon appear normal with preserved normal haustral folds. The terminal ileum is distended and normal in appearance.