S D Med. 2023 Sep;76(9):416-423.

Allison Hemmer ¹, Kennedy Forest ¹, Joseph Rath ¹, James Bowman ²

Author information

¹University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine.

²University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Rapid City, South Dakota.

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease is a term describing a group of diseases, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, that cause chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Both conditions tend to have episodic flares of diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, and unintentional weight loss. This analysis will discuss the etiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical and histologic features, treatment, and complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Though there are many similarities between these two conditions it is important to recognize their differences for accurate diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance for potential long-term complications.