Objective: To determine the state of local blood flow in ulcerative colitis.
Methods: Rectal blood flow was measured by means of laser Doppler flowmetry during endoscopy in 20 patients with active or inactive ulcerative colitis and in 20 healthy controls.
Results: A significant (p < 0.01) reduction in the values of rectal perfusion was observed in ulcerative colitis patients both in active phase and in clinical and endoscopic remission.
Conclusions: Impaired local blood flow may have a pathogenetic role in ulcerative colitis. Remission of the disease is not accompanied by normalization of local microcirculation, which may predispose to relapses.