Crohn’s Disease vs Ulcerative Colitis : IBD
Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD refers to a group of auto-immune disorders in which the intestines become inflamed. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are chronic inflammatory bowel disease which have relapsing and limiting course. The diseases have many similarities and it is important to differentiate them.
| Crohn’s Disease | Ulcerative Colitis | |
| Most common site | Terminal ileum | Rectum |
| Distribution | Mouth to anus | Rectum to colon “backwash” ileitis |
| Spread | Discontinuity “skip” lesions | Continuous |
| Gross features |
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| Micro | Noncaseating granulomas | Crypt abscess |
| Inflammation | Transmural | Limited to mucosa and submucosa |
| Complication |
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| Genetic Association | HLA-B27 | |
| Extraintestinal manifestation | Uncommon | Common |
| Cancer risk | Slight 1-3% | 5-25% |
| Presentation | Variable : Pain, diarrhea, weight loss | Bloody diarrhea |
Reference:
Kaplan USMLE Lecture Notes
