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World J Gastroenterol. Aug 14, 2014; 20(30): 10262-10278
Published online Aug 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i30.10262
Inflammatory bowel disease in pediatric and adolescent patients: A biomolecular and histopathological review
Luciana Rigoli, Rosario Alberto Caruso
Luciana Rigoli, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina, Italy
Rosario Alberto Caruso, Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, I-98125 Messina, Italy
Author contributions: Rigoli L and Caruso RA jointly contributed to this paper; Both authors read and approved the final version.
Correspondence to: Luciana Rigoli, MD, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, I-98125 Messina, Italy. lrigoli@unime.it
Telephone: +39-90-2212120 Fax: +39-90-2213788
Received: November 4, 2013
Revised: March 4, 2014
Accepted: April 15, 2014
Published online: August 14, 2014
Abstract

Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with both overlapping and distinct clinical, pathological and biomolecular features. It has been suggested that pediatric IBD is a distinct disease entity, with probably different disease subtypes.The aim of this study is to review and summarize the evolution of the current concept of pediatric IBD. The results of this review reinforce the idea that pediatric CD and UC may be further classified in various clinicopathologic entities. For clinicians and pathologists convenience, practical algorithms for the distinction of the various subphenotypes of pediatric IBD are also provided.

Keywords: Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative disease, Histopathology, Molecular biology

Core tip: The review contains the most recent data of the literature and suggests a clinical- pathological heterogeneity of the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in childhood. It provides diagrams that display the main anatomo-clinical and biomolecular correlations and that may be encountered in IBD children. These diagnostic patterns and correlations may be useful in clinical practice for pediatric IBD.