Protocolo diagnóstico del dolor abdominal y la rectorragia en pacientes con enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal

In ulcerative colitis, rectorrhagia is practically constant and is associated to the activity of the colitis, although there are other clinical conditions that may cause it (benign anorectal disease, polyps, colorectal cancer in extended and long-course colitis). In the case of an episode, it is not necessary to specifically investigate the rectorrhagia, the performance of a complete colonoscopy being contraindicated if the episode is severe. Abdominal pain is less frequent in ulcerative colitis than in Crohn's disease and is generally mild. The presence of intense abdominal pain during a colitis episode must always be investigated, this situation being more common within the context of a severe episode and one that requires ruling out the existence of a complication.