What is "pouchitis"

n. inflammation of the ileal pouch (an artificial rectum surgically created out of ileal gut tissue in patients who have undergone a colectomy).

Pouchitis is inflammation of the ileal pouch (an artificial rectum surgically created out of ileal gut tissue in patients who have undergone a colectomy), which is created in the management of patients with ulcerative colitis, indeterminate colitis, FAP, or, rarely, other colitides.

A variety of pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed for pouchitis, but the precise pathogenesis (biological cause) remains unknown. A pilot study on the effect of reducing dietary FODMAP intake on bowel function in patients without a colon ran by Croagh C, Shepherd SJ, Berryman M, Muir JG, Gibson PR indicates there might be a relation between Pouchitis and FODMAP content of diets.

The incidence of a first episode of pouchitis at 1, 5 and 10 years post-operatively is 15%, 33% and 45% respectively.

Patients with pouchitis typically present with bloody diarrhea, urgency in passing stools, or discomfort while passing stools. The loss of blood and/or dehydration resulting from the frequent stools will frequently result in nausea. Extreme cramping and pain can occur with pouchitis.

Endoscopy in patients with pouchitis usually reveals erythematous pouch mucosa, loss of pseudocolonic vasculature or other architecture, and friability of the mucosa. Biopsies show evidence of inflammatory cells or red blood cells in the lamina propria.