Inflammatory Bowel Disease Flashcards
What is inflammatory bowel disease?
A dysregulated immune response of the intestinal mucosa to microbes in genetically susceptible individuals. Defects may be present in both barrier function of the intestinal epithelium and immune the immune system.
What are the three types of IBD?
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Unclassified IBD
How do you diagnose IBD in children?
Definitive diagnosis between CD and UC is elusive especially early in the disease. The pediatric ulcerated colitis activity index (PUCAI) is widely used for children. The score of at least 65 points is needed for UC. PUCAI yields a range of scores that can also be used to monitor disease severity and treatment progress.
The Montreal classification of IBD is also used at diagnosis and during disease evolution. It is used to accurately classify the phenotype (physical characteristics) of all subtypes of IBD, including disease location or extent, behavior, and age of onset.
What are the incidence of IBD?
Most cases of IBD occur with onset between 15 to 30 years. A small amount is found in children younger than five, and in infants is extremely rare. Children diagnosed with IBD are more likely to have CD than UC and have more severe extensive disease, vague symptoms, and extraintestinal symptoms than adults.
