In which condition do patients typically experience continuous inflammation?

Ulcerative colitis is characterized by continuous inflammation of the colonic mucosa. This inflammatory condition primarily affects the colon and rectum, leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. Unlike Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract and often presents with patchy areas of inflammation, ulcerative colitis typically shows a uniform pattern of inflammation that starts at the rectum and may extend proximally in a continuous manner through the colon.

In contrast, Crohn's disease often leads to discontinuous segments of inflammation throughout the digestive tract, which can manifest as skip lesions. Gastroesophageal reflux disease involves inflammation of the esophagus due to acid reflux but does not describe a condition of continuous inflammation like ulcerative colitis. Celiac disease pertains to an autoimmune reaction to gluten, resulting in inflammation in the small intestine but is not characterized by continuous colonic involvement.

Thus, the unique feature of continuous colonic inflammation in ulcerative colitis makes it the correct choice for this question.