Inflammatory bowel disease in children

Abstract

Beside Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), paediatric chronic inflammatory bowel diseases encompass variety of different inflammatory conditions: allergic colitis in infancy, colitis of hypereosinophilic syndrome, Behcet colitis, microscopic colitides etc. Paediatric CD characterises predominance of inflammatory and obstructive disease variant. Because of their growth suppression an early introduction of azathioprine in steroid dependent and steroid refractory cases is frequently indicated. In teenage period resection procedures may be an elective and initial therapeutic option due to necessity of proper pubertal mental and physical development. Paediatric UC frequently manifests initially as pancolitis what indicates higher rate of colectomy rate. Therapy is still dispute about an optimal surgical procedure: restorative proctocolectomy or ileo-anal pull through techniques. Allergic colitis in infancy may mimic ulcerative colitis and rises a possibility of diagnostic and therapeutic confusions. Its treatment is strictly nutritive.