Clinical features of inflammatory bowel disease

Attentive clinical observation continues to provide fresh insight into the diagnosis and pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While investigations of the genetic basis of IBD have relied on the ability to distinguish Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis among distinct phenotypes, recent publications have disputed some of the anatomic and histologic criteria that are the basis of these distinctions. Observational cohorts have provided an increased appreciation of the systemic nature of IBD, and recognition of specific complications both intrinsic and extrinsic to the gastrointestinal tract. Careful interpretation of these data may lead to improved management, as well as hypotheses to be examined at the benchtop.