Familial ulcerative colitis

EDITORIAL SYNOPSiS A family in which eight members have or have had ulcerative colitis is presented and in them a genetic factor is considered to play a major part in the aetiology of the disease. The distribution of the disease in this family is consistent with an autosomal dominant pattern. Review of the literature suggests that a genetic influence is perhaps a more important factor in the aetiology of ulcerative colitis than previously supposed.