Which of the following describes symptoms of pouchitis?

• A. Crampy abdominal pain, urgency and frequency, with or without bloody stools, increased bowel movement numbers, fever, and feeling of weakness
• B. Severe constipation with no other symptoms
• C. Skin rash unrelated to bowel symptoms
• D. Headache and dizziness only

Answer: (A)

The key idea is recognizing how pouchitis presents: inflammation of the ileal pouch leads to more active bowel function and discomfort. The description that includes crampy abdominal pain, urgency and frequency of stools, sometimes with bloody stools, along with fever and a sense of malaise or weakness, fits pouchitis well. Patients often notice a sudden change from their baseline pouch output, with increased stool frequency and urgency, and may also have abdominal cramping and systemic symptoms like fever.

The other scenarios don’t match pouchitis. Severe constipation with no other symptoms isn’t typical of an inflamed pouch, which usually causes increased stool output rather than blockage. A skin rash unrelated to bowel symptoms and headaches or dizziness alone don’t reflect inflammation of the pouch or changes in stool patterns characteristic of pouchitis.