Why Classify Inflammatory Bowel Disease?
Authors: Harvey J. Dworken, David F. Ransohoff
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1982)

Editorials1 August 1982Why Classify Inflammatory Bowel Disease?HARVEY J. DWORKEN, M.D., DAVID F. RANSOHOFF, M.D.HARVEY J. DWORKEN, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, DAVID F. RANSOHOFF, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-97-2-273 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptWhen inflammatory bowel disease is confined primarily to the colon, some difficulty is occasionally encountered in distinguishing between its two main constituents, ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease. Although the pathologic and clinical spectra of these two disorders are, by current thinking, usually quite distinct from one another (1), they do overlap at times and clinicians can be hard pressed in these borderline cases to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. Physicians have been cautioned to reappraise patients with inflammatory bowel disease occasionally because clinical and pathologic features may change (2).To address the problem of classification, the research committee of the...References1. DWORKEN H. Gastroenterology Pathophysiology and Clinical Applications. Boston and London: Butterworths; 1982:519-33. Google Scholar2. SCHACHTER H and KIRSNER J. Definitions of inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology. Gastroenterology. 1975;68:591-600. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. CLAMP S, MYREN J, BOUCHIER I, WATKINSON G, and DEDOMBAL F. Diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease: an international multicentre scoring system. Br Med J. 1982;284:91-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. MYREN J, BOUCHIER I, WATKINSON G, and DEDOMBAL F. Inflammatory bowel disease—An OMGE survey. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1979;14(suppl 56):1-27. MedlineGoogle Scholar5. MEKHJIAN H, SWITZ D, MELNYK C, RANKIN G, and BROOKS R. Clinical features and natural history of Crohn's disease. Gastroenterology. 1979:77:898-906. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. MEKHJIAN H, SWITZ D, WATTS H, DEREN J, KATON R, and BEMAN F. National Cooperative Crohn's Disease Study: factors determining recurrence of Crohn's disease after surgery. Gastroenterology. 1979;77:907-13. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. HAMILTON S, REESE J, PENNINGTON L, BOITNOTT J, BAYLESS T, and CAMERON J. No role for resection margin frozen sections in the surgical management of Crohn's disease [Abstract]. Gastroenterology. 1982;82:1078. Google Scholar8. GYDE S, PRIOR P, MACCARTNEY J, THOMPSON H, WATERHOUSE J, and ALLAN R. Malignancy in Crohn's disease. Gut. 1980;21:1024-9. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. GREENSTEIN A, SACHAR D, and SMITH H. Cancer in universal and left-sided ulcerative colitis: factors determining risk. Gastroenterology. 1979;77:290-4. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. RIDDELL R. The precarcinomatous phase of ulcerative colitis. In: MORSON BC, ed. Pathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1976:179-220. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: HARVEY J. DWORKEN, M.D.; DAVID F. RANSOHOFF, M.D.Affiliations: University Hospitals Cleveland, Ohio PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byPrediction of Individual Patient PrognosisClassifying Inflammatory Bowel DiseaseF. T. DE DOMBAL, M.A., M.D. 1 August 1982Volume 97, Issue 2Page: 273-274KeywordsColonCrohn's diseaseInflammatory bowel diseaseUlcerative colitis ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 August 1982 PDF downloadLoading ...