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Differences between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease

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Ulcerative colitis	Crohn’s disease
Only affects the colon	Can affect any section of the digestive tract
Inflammation occurs in the innermost lining	Inflammation affects all layers of the intestine
Stenosis / fistula complications are rare	Stenosis / fistulas are relatively frequent
The predominant symptom is diarrhoea	The predominant symptom is abdominal pain
Blood and/or mucus discharges in stools or in isolation are relatively frequent	Blood and/or mucus discharges are usually evidence of colon involvement

Substantiated information by:

Ingrid Ordas Jimenez Gastroenterologist Gastroenterology Department

Marta Gallego Barrero Nurse Gastroenterology Department

Published: 20 February 2018
Updated: 4 September 2020

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