title: Indeterminate colitis: a distinctive clinical pattern of inflammatory bowel disease in children.
abstract: Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis are frequently clinical conditions in children. Another clinical entity, indeterminate colitis, is considered a subgroup of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. It is generally characterized by early onset in the first years of life, and clinical behavior is rapidly progressive to pancolitis. The definition of indeterminate colitis has changed over the years, but it is usually used to identify severe colitis with overlapping features of ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is the surgical treatment of choice for patients with ulcerative colitis, but increased rates of complications have been found in indeterminate colitis. Therefore, it is better to be cautious in patients with indeterminate colitis who present with severe attacks and require surgery.
authors.affiliation: University of Messina, Department of Pediatrics, Viale Gazzi, 98122 Messina, Italy. romanoc@unime.it
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Famiani
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallizzi
authors.forename: Donatella
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Comito
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferrau'
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index