Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the incidence of IBD seems highest in more developed countries, including Northern Europe, North America and Australia and lowest in less developed regions such as Asia, Africa and South America. Crohn's disease is characterized by a chronic transmural inflammatory process that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus in a discontinuous fashion. The inflammatory process characteristically extends through all layers of the intestinal wall. Medication currently available decreases inflammation and usually controls the symptoms but does not provide a cure. Crohn's disease is often associated with remissions and relapses and often recurs following surgery.
Ulcerative colitis is characterized by continuous inflammation confined to the large intestine.
In the disease, the distal colon is most severely affected, and the rectum is involved in nearly all cases with inflammation limited primarily to the mucosa. Currently, no medical cure exists for ulcerative colitis, but effective medical treatment can suppress the inflammatory process, permit healing of the colon and relieve the symptoms. Ulcerative colitis is potentially curable if the colon is removed. Such an invasive procedure is generally an undesirable option for pediatric patients. Thus, primary treatment options employ medications that decrease the abnormal inflammation in the colon lining and consequently control the symptoms.