Ulcerative colitis in a Nigerian child: a case report

Ewah -Odiase, Omoike, Akpede, Udaze
2016 Int J Gastroenterol Hepatol Transpl Nutr   unpublished
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by unpredictable exacerbations and remissions. It is thought to be rare in Africans especially amongst paediatric age group and there has been only one presumed paediatric case report from Nigeria. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 13.5 year old boy who presented with typical symptoms and in whom the diagnosis of UC was confirmed by endoscopic examination and histology. He responded well to treatment
more » ... th sulfasalazine tablets. Conclusion: This plus an earlier report suggest that UC may not be as rare in Nigeria as it was previously thought to be perhaps due to under-diagnosis caused by a lack of diagnostic facilities. A high index of suspicion is required in diagnosis and epidemiologic studies are required to determine its actual prevalence.
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