What Are Ulcerative Colitis, Proctitis, and Proctosigmoiditis?

QUESTION: What is the name of the disease that is like ulcerative colitis but
happens in the rectum? Where does it come from, and how may it be treated?
Thanks for your help.
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ANSWER: Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the inner lining of
the large intestine, or colon. Ulcerative "proctitis" and
"proctosigmoiditis", on the other hand, are similar inflammations of the
rectum and of the final curve of the colon leading to the rectum. The
symptoms of these two diseases include rectal bleeding and mucus in the stool.
This disease is not to be confused with proctitis caused by infection,
frequently transmitted through sexual contact.
Medical experts disagree on the nature of ulcerative proctitis and
proctosigmoiditis. Some say the two are a mild, limited form of colitis.
Others argue that they are a completely separate disease. However, it has
been shown that if the disease hasn't spread to the rest of the colon after
six months, then it probably never will. Furthermore, the prognosis for
proctitis and proctosigmoiditis is better than the outlook for colitis.
Patients with the more limited disease rarely need to be hospitalized or
treated with system-wide corticosteroids. Therefore, it can be important to
distinguish between the diseases.
In any case, ulcerative proctitis is generally fairly mild. Since most
of the colon is not affected, normal stools are usually formed. In fact, a
patient with the disease may even be constipated. Treatment involves
medication for the inflammation and hydrocortisone or corticosteroid foam
enemas.