Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease that can be tricky to diagnose. There are a handful of digestive diseases that come with similar symptoms. In this video, learn how to tell the difference between UC and other digestive problems.
Maia Kayal, MD, MS, is an assistant professor in the Division of Gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and The Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center.
References
Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. (2020). IBD mimics: Most common conditions misdiagnosed as IBD.
Lynch, W. D., et al. (2023). Ulcerative colitis. StatPearls.
Nathani, R. R., et al. (2025). Irritable bowel syndrome. StatPearls.
Voelker, R. (2024). What is ulcerative colitis? JAMA.
Why trust our experts?
Reviewed by:
Karen Hovav, MD, FAAPKaren Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.
