History of Ulcerative Colitis
How was ulcerative colitis discovered?
Ulcerative colitis (UC) was first recorded in the late 1800s. Medical researchers think that UC may have first appeared several hundred years ago, but it was not until 1875 that this condition was described and named "ulcerative colitis" in a medical textbook published in London.
How accurate were early diagnoses? Doctors originally thought that all chronic inflammation involving the colon was ulcerative colitis. Then, in the 1950s and 1960s, Crohn's disease became recognized as a separate disorder. Some people who had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis were told that they didn't have UC after all; they'd had Crohn's disease all along.
What was the first treatment for UC?
The first treatment for UC was sulfasalazine. Sulfasalazine was discovered by accident in the late 1930s by a Swedish researcher trying to find a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The patient, who also had UC, was given a "sulfa drug" combined with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). When the patient was given this combined drug, called sulfasalazine, his ulcerative colitis symptoms improved. In 1942, sulfasalazine became the first UC treatment. In the 1980s, the active ingredient in sulfasalazine was isolated, resulting in the 5-ASA drugs that are still used to treat mild or moderate ulcerative colitis flares.
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What's the future of UC treatment?
Researchers are looking for new treatment options. Since genetics may play a role in predisposing people for ulcerative colitis, many researchers are hoping that the new knowledge we have about human genes will lead to additional treatments for UC. Start the UC dialogue with your physician to keep up to date on new developments in treating this condition.
