The peri-appendiceal red patch in ulcerative colitis: review of the University of Chicago experience.

Background: Previous case series have described patients with a limited extent of ulcerative colitis (UC) and an area in the cecum with focal activity surrounding the appendiceal orifice ["peri-appendiceal red patch" (PARP)]. The clinical significance and prognostic implications of this finding are unknown. We used a tertiary care center database to review the clinical characteristics of UC patients with PARP.

Outcome after surveillance of low-grade and indefinite dysplasia in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Background: The management of low-grade (LGD) and indefinite dysplasia (IND) in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) remains controversial, as outcomes after a diagnosis of LGD or IND in previous studies vary widely.

Methods: All patients evaluated were from a single institution referral center who had a history of UC and a diagnosis of either LGD or IND between 1994 and 2008 as confirmed by 2 expert gastrointestinal (GI) pathologists. Data were collected by chart review of electronic and paper medical records.

Are dysplasia and colorectal cancer endoscopically visible in patients with ulcerative colitis?

Background: Dysplasia and colorectal cancer (CRC) in ulcerative colitis (UC) develop via pathways distinct from sporadic CRC and may occur in flat mucosa indistinct from surrounding tissue. Surveillance guidelines, therefore, have emphasized the ;roach of periodic endoscopic examinations and systematic random biopsies of involved mucosa. Given the imperfect nature of this random approach, recent work has focused on improved surveillance techniques and suggests that neoplasia is endoscopically visible in many patients.