Your colon, also known as the large intestine, is part of your digestive system. It's a long, hollow tube at the end of your digestive tract where your body makes and stores stool. Many disorders affect the colon's ability to work properly. Some of these include
- Colorectal cancer
- Colonic polyps - extra tissue growing in the colon that can become cancerous
- Ulcerative colitis - ulcers of the colon and rectum
- Diverticulitis - inflammation or infection of pouches in the colon
- Irritable bowel syndrome - an uncomfortable condition causing abdominal cramping and other symptoms
Treatment for colonic diseases varies greatly depending on the disease and its severity. Treatment may involve diet, medicines and in some cases, surgery.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Facts and Fallacies about Digestive Diseases(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/facts/index.htm
- Large, Multi-Center Trial Demonstrates Comparable Accuracy for Virtual Colonoscopy and Standard Colonoscopy(09/17/2008, National Cancer Institute) - http://www.nih.gov/news/health/sep2008/nci-17.htm
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery(08/18/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68270.html
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Barium Enema(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/bariumenema/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/bariumenemaspanish/htm/index.htm
- Biopsy(InteliHealth) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/23952.html
- Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonoscopy/
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Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/sigmoidoscopy/
- Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lowergi/
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Sigmoidoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/sigmoidoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/sigmoidoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
- Virtual Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/virtualcolonoscopy/
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Colostomy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colostomy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colostomyspanish/htm/index.htm
- Ileostomy, Colostomy and Ileoanal Reservoir Surgery(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ileostomy/index.htm
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Laparoscopic Colon Resection(Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons) - http://www.sages.org/publications/publication.php?id=PI09
Also available in Spanish http://www.sages.org/publications/publication.php?id=PI09S
- Laparoscopic Proctosigmoidectomy: Basic Surgical Steps(Cleveland Clinic Foundation) - http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/laparoscopic_surgery/hic_laparoscopic_proctosigmoidectomy_basic_surgical_steps.aspx
- Digestive Health Tips(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/healthtips.asp
- Colon Cleansing: Helpful or Harmful?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/colon-cleansing/AN00065/METHOD=print
- Anatomic Problems of the Colon(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/anatomiccolon/
- Collagenous Colitis and Lymphocytic Colitis(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/collagenouscolitis/index.htm
- Collagenous Colitis/Lymphocytic Colitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/collagenous-colitis/DS00824/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Gas in the Digestive Tract(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gas/
- Intestinal Ischemia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/intestinal-ischemia/DS00459/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/intestinalpo/index.htm
- Ischemic Colitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/ischemic-colitis/DS00794/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Pseudomembranous colitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/pseudomembranous-colitis/DS00797/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Barium Enema(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/bariumenema/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/bariumenemaspanish/htm/index.htm
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Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
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Colostomy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colostomy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colostomyspanish/htm/index.htm
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Sigmoidoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/sigmoidoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/sigmoidoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
- Advances in Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 4/23/2008 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/ens_2310/rnh.cfm?id=718
- Laparoscopic Sigmoid Colectomy(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 6/21/2006 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=309
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Your Digestive System and How It Works(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/yrdd/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/yrdd/index.htm
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Colonic Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Colonic+Diseases%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Colonoscopy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=colonoscopy
- Genetics Home Reference: Mowat-Wilson syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=mowatwilsonsyndrome
- Article: Diverticular disease of the colon: a conservative approach works best. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18619106&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Incidental findings in CT colonography: literature review and survey of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18547201&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Fertility and pain outcomes following laparoscopic segmental bowel resection for... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18532961&tool=MedlinePlus
- Colonic Diseases -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=colonic+diseases[majr]+NOT+(neoplasms[mh]+OR+colonic+diseases,functional[majr]+OR+colitis,ulcerative[majr]+OR+constipation[majr]+OR+diarrhea[majr])+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: Find a Doctor(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) - http://www.asge.org/Apps/FindADoctor/search.aspx
- GI Physician Locator(American College of Gastroenterology) - http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/phylocator.asp
- American Gastroenterological Association - http://www.gastro.org/
- American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons - http://www.fascrs.org/
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- What I Need to Know about Hirschsprung's Disease(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/hirschsprungs_ez/
- Colonic Polyps - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/colonicpolyps.html
- Colorectal Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/colorectalcancer.html
- Crohn's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/crohnsdisease.html
- Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diverticulosisanddiverticulitis.html
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/irritablebowelsyndrome.html
- Ulcerative Colitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ulcerativecolitis.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Colonic Diseases is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
Colonic Diseases - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/colonicdiseases.html