Utility of Geboes score for assessing histological activity in ulcerative colitis

Introduction and Aim: Diagnosis of UC is challenging and calls for an integrated clinical, endoscopic, serological, and histological examination. Although inexpensive and non-invasive, endoscopic findings do not always correlate with disease activity, as demonstrated by traditional histopathological examination. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between January 2014 and December 2019. Specimens of patients diagnosed with UC that were received in the Department of Pathology were included. An experienced pathologist assessed the histological disease activity using the Geboes score. The Mayo endoscopic subscore was recorded for endoscopic activity. Results thus obtained were entered into MS Excel and analysis was done using SPSS version 25.0. Results: Of the 123 cases of UC, (age, 14 to 74 years; males: 60.2%, females: 39.8%) majority had endoscopic findings of erythema and edema (n=20) with the least common finding being ileocolitis (n=1). Mayo subscore was available in 24 cases (ranging from 1 to 3; Mayo subscores of 1, 2, and 3 in 1, 14 and 9 cases respectively). Active colitis was noted in 78% (96/123) of the patients while the remaining 22% (27/123) of patients had inactive colitis. Only 24 cases had both Mayo subscore and Geboes score correlation. Fourteen cases had a Mayo subscore of 2 and a Geboes score ranging from 2A to 5.2; 9 cases had a Mayo subscore of 3 and a Geboes score ranging from 4.1 to 5.2. Conclusion: Assessment of histological disease activity by Geboes score provides useful information in routine reporting of biopsy specimens of cases of Ulcerative colitis