What is pouchitis?

It is the inflammatory process suffered by the so-called J-shaped pouch or reservoir, which is a type of sac formed surgically through the procedure known as ileoanal anastomosis with pouch, performed on patients suffering from ulcerative colitis, in whom the rectum and colon must be removed, so the reservoir is created by connecting one end of the ileum to the anus so that the feces are stored there to be eliminated later.

There are two types of pouchitis:

• Acute:
  Lasts less than a month.
• Chronic:
  Lasts more than a month.

• Diarrhea.
• Frequent bowel movements.
• Fecal urgency.
• Continuous feeling of having to evacuate.
• Fecal incontinence.
• Abdominal pain.
• Mucus in stools.
• Blood in the stool.
• High fever (occasionally).

Once the doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform a physical examination and various tests to confirm the diagnosis, including:

• Pouch endoscopy.
• Tissue biopsy.

Generally, the treatment for pouchitis uses:

• Antibiotics.
• Steroids.
• Probiotics.
• Biological agents.
• Glutamine and butyrate suppositories.
• Bismuth enemas.
• Allopurinol.
• Antiparasitics.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

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