Overview

To diagnose UC, your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms and family history of IBD. They’ll order tests and perform procedures to rule out conditions similar to UC.

Tests and procedures include:

  • Blood tests: Your blood can show signs of anemia, which may mean you have bleeding in your colon or rectum. Blood tests can also help providers rule out other causes of your symptoms, like an infection.
  • Stool samples: Signs of infection, parasites (tiny organisms that can live in a person’s body) and inflammation can show up in your poop.
  • Imaging tests: Your healthcare provider may need a picture of your colon and rectum. You may need a specialized type of X-ray called a barium enema to reveal signs of inflammation in your colon. A CT scan (computed tomography scan) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) can show signs of inflammation in your colon, especially with moderate and severe UC. An X-ray can show complications like megacolon or perforation.
  • Endoscopic tests: An endoscope is a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera. Your provider can insert the endoscope through your rectum to see inside your colon and take tissue samples for testing (biopsy). Common endoscopic tests to diagnose UC include colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy.
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