Inflammatory bowel disease
Description
- Chronic relapsing immune-mediated gut inflammation. Two phenotypes + IBD-unclassified (~10% of colitis)
UC vs Crohn - the discriminators
| UC | Crohn | |
|---|---|---|
| Site | Colon only, rectum always, continuous retrograde | Mouth -> anus, skip lesions |
| Depth | Mucosa/submucosa | Transmural |
| Histology | Crypt abscesses, goblet cell depletion, no granuloma | Non-caseating granuloma (~30%), goblet cells preserved |
| Complications | Toxic megacolon, dysplasia | Strictures, fistulae, abscess, perianal disease |
| Smoking | Protective | Harmful |
| Serology | pANCA+ | ASCA+ |
| Surgery | Curative (colon removed) | Never curative - recurs at anastomosis |
- Backwash ileitis in UC pancolitis does not make it Crohn
- Rectal sparing or perianal disease = Crohn until proven otherwise
6 more sections, plus exam facts
Premium unlocks every note across every specialty, and the full exam fact library behind it.
Get premium access