Ulcerative Colitis: Puzzles within Puzzles

Abstract

A science newswriter recently characterized ulcerative colitis as a "disease of puzzles within puzzles," a designation amply confirmed by three papers in this issue of the Journal. The paper by Jalan and his colleagues on the possible influence of corticosteroids on the course of colectomy and ileostomy, perineal-wound healing and complications updates a familiar and largely unresolved controversy. For nearly 20 years steroids have been implicated in a variety of therapeutic complications — at times documented by evidence and at others based only on arbitrary impressions. The authors' conclusion that steroids did not adversely influence the outcome of surgery . . .