ABSTRACT
Increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children, particularly crohn’s disease (CD), has been demonstrated in Canada, the United States, Spain, France, Northern Europe, and in Eastern Europe countries, such as Czech Republic, Croatia and Hungary. The delay in establishing the diagnosis of IBD in children is frequent and it is even harder to recognize these diseases in young children. The most common symptoms of both CD and ulcerative colitis are diarrhea and abdominal pain. Growth deficit is a factor exclusive to the pediatric age group; it occurs in 10 to 40% of patients at diagnosis and, in some patients, can be the first symptom of CD in the absence of diarrhea or abdominal pain. The treatment of patients with IBD depends on disease severity and location. It consists of induction and maintenance of remission, aimed at mucosal healing.
