Introduction The Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) was developed to standardise the endoscopic assessment of ulcerative colitis activity. It evaluates vascular pattern, bleeding, and erosions/ulcers, generating a score reflecting disease severity.
Introduction
The Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) was developed to standardise the endoscopic assessment of ulcerative colitis activity. It evaluates vascular pattern, bleeding, and erosions/ulcers, generating a score reflecting disease severity. Although initially described with a range of 3–11, subsequent validation rebased the scoring system to 0–8, making a completely normal colonoscopy score 0. Despite this revision, confusion about the correct scoring persists in clinical practice and literature.
Summary
This commentary highlights ongoing misconceptions regarding the UCEIS scoring system and emphasises the importance of adopting the validated 0–8 scale. The rebasing from 3–11 to 0–8 improved clinical interpretation, so a normal colonoscopy now scores 0 rather than 3. However, surveys among inflammatory bowel disease specialists revealed that over one-third still believe a normal colonoscopy corresponds to a score of 3. Literature review also identified multiple publications, guideline documents, and online calculators continuing to reference the outdated scale. This inconsistency may influence research and clinical decision-making, as UCEIS is increasingly used to guide treatment escalation and predict outcomes, including response to intravenous steroids in acute severe ulcerative colitis. The authors call for universal adoption of the validated scoring system and improved educational resources, including standardised image examples for each descriptor. Establishing a common understanding of UCEIS is essential for reliable communication, accurate disease assessment, and consistency across clinical care and research in ulcerative colitis.
Introduction: The global incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to rise, particularly in newly industrialized countries. This comprehensive systematic review evaluated how race, ethnicity, geography, and migration influence the clinical phenotype and outcomes of...
Introduction: Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) remains one of the most life-threatening emergencies in inflammatory bowel disease. Despite advances in IBD therapy, first-line management has changed little over the past two decades, and colectomy continues...
Introduction: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with a rising global burden. Although current therapies are effective, many patients fail treatment or experience adverse effects. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as...
Introduction: Despite major advances with biologics and small molecules, many patients with IBD continue to have refractory disease or lose treatment response. This Perspective explores engineered cellular therapies designed to restore immune tolerance rather than...
Introduction: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are the cornerstone for approving biologic therapies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, strict eligibility criteria may exclude many patients encountered in routine clinical practice, raising concerns about the real-world...
Introduction: Mirikizumab, a selective IL-23p19 inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy in phase III clinical trials for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis (UC). This multicenter Italian real-world study evaluated its effectiveness and safety in routine clinical practice, including patients...
We are pioneers in clinical intelligence, dedicated to helping gastroenterologists harness the power of artificial intelligence to drive precision, efficiency, and patient growth.