3D Printed Ulcerative Colitis

3D Printed Ulcerative Colitis Clinical History A 36-year old female was admitted to hospital with a 3-week history of bloody diarrhoea and lower abdominal pain. Further history taking revealed 4 similar episodes of diarrhoea and abdominal pain of over the past 7 years. Sigmoidoscopy showed a erythematous, ulcerated and oedematous rectal mucosa. She was commenced on steroid treatment but her symptoms failed to improve. She underwent a total colectomy. Pathology The resected colon has been sliced open longitudinally to show the mucosal surface. There is extensive confluent ulceration separated by oedematous islands of residual mucosa. The ulcers have necrotic bases with overhanging edges some of which form ‘pseudo’-polyps. Histology of the bowel mucosa showed acute inflammatory changes with crypt abscesses, focal necrosis and ulceration. This is an example of acute ulcerative colitis (UC). Further InformationUlcerative colitis is a chronic ulcero-inflammatory disease that usually involve