1.   Twenty six patients with ulcerative colitis had disease confined to the left colon and seven restorative proctocolectomies were performed for proctitis alone because of severe urgency.

2.   A common clinical finding is occurrence of liquid stool incontinence together with severe urgency.

3.   Severe urgency was defined as an urgent need to defecate which has to be relieved in less than one minute to avoid incontinence.

4.   The other patients were excluded for lower frequency of incontinence or absence of severe urgency.

5.   An easily fatiguing sphincter may explain the severe urgency reported by our patients.