[Clinical features and management of the elderly patients with ulcerative colitis]

Ulcerative colitis(UC) is commonly observed in young generation, but a considerable number of patients(1.7-4.6%) distribute over 65 years old. The clinical features of the elderly UC patients are not so severe, and most of them could maintain clinical remission after treatment. These are the most characteristic features of the elderly UC patients. Although the elderly UC patients are treated with similar therapeutic strategy for younger UC patients, we must pay an attention to several special points, e.g. differences in drug efficacy and complication with other diseases. Especially it must be emphasized that the risk of colon cancer development is much higher in the elderly UC patients, and strong efforts should be paid to the surveillance for colon cancer in these patients.