Inflammatory Bowel Disease Introduction
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a hot topic in medicine. Unfortunately, it is exceptionally common. So, what is this disease that devastates so many, and what can you do to control it?
IBD is inflammation of the mucosal lining of the intestinal tract. This inflammation leads to ulcers, bleeding, and fluid and electrolyte loss. There are basically two main types of IBD: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD). These are distinct disease entities, however they share many features in common.
Ulcerative Colitis
- Disease limited to all or part of the colon, always including the rectum (never outside of the colon)
- Waxing and waning intensity and severity (known as “active stage” and “remission,” respectively)
- 25% of cases have disease confined to rectum; 10% of cases have disease of the entire colon
- Chronic disease can lead to hardening and dysfunction of the colon
- More likely to have gross blood in stools
Crohn’s Disease
- Can involve any segment of the GI tract
- Waxing and waning intensity and severity (known as “active stage” and “remission,” respectively)
- 3 types of disease: inflammation, strictures, fistulas
- 3 common patterns of involvement:
- Ileum and cecum
- Small intestine only
- Colon only (not necessarily the rectum)
- Increased incidence of gallstones and kidney stones
- More likely to cause weight loss and/or growth retardation in children
Complications of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Inflammatory bowel disease may lead to one or more complications within or related to the intestinal tract. These include the following:
- Bleeding
- Perforation
- Strictures
- Anomalous connections with other organs or with the outside
- Abscesses
- Colorectal Cancer (as previously mentioned)
Read On
To learn more about causes of IBD, common symptoms of IBD both in the intestines and outside the intestines, select a link below.
