Second European evidence-based consensus on the diagnosis and management of ulcerative colitis Part 2: Current management

### 5.1 General When deciding the appropriate treatment strategy for active ulcerative colitis one should consider the activity, distribution (proctitis, left-sided, extensive1), and pattern of disease. The disease pattern includes relapse frequency, course of disease, response to previous medications, side-effect profile of medication and extra-intestinal manifestations. The age at onset and disease duration may also be important factors. #### 5.1.1 Disease activity The principal disease activity scoring systems used in clinical trials are covered in Section 1.2 and have been comprehensively reviewed.2 However there are some practical points that are relevant for routine clinical use. For example, it is…