Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Start with the big picture
Crohn disease may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, often in discontinuous skip lesions with transmural inflammation; granulomas may be present. UC typically involves continuous mucosal inflammation extending from the rectum through the colon. IBD can also affect sites beyond the bowel, and these manifestations may track with bowel activity or follow a different course. Severity assessment uses disease-specific tools: Mayo scoring for UC and CDAI or Harvey–Bradshaw for Crohn disease. Treatment is generally stepped up from 5-ASA and corticosteroids to immunomodulators and biologic or small-molecule therapies, with surgery considered in selected cases. Drug choice depends on disease type, severity, response, and safety monitoring.
What you'll learn
- Distinguish Crohn disease from UC by distribution and depth of inflammation.
- Identify extra-intestinal manifestations associated with IBD.
- Describe the roles of Mayo, CDAI, and Harvey–Bradshaw severity assessments.
- Outline the step-up approach to IBD pharmacotherapy.
- Recognize key safety screening and monitoring considerations for selected therapies.
Continue your study
Work through the complete notes and reinforce the topic with the study tools available in the full lesson.
