Inflammatory bowel disease in pediatric and adolescent patients: a biomolecular and histopathological review

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Immunology

Background:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), presents with overlapping and distinct features.
• Pediatric IBD is increasingly recognized as a potentially distinct entity with unique disease subtypes.
• Understanding these distinctions is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize the evolving understanding of pediatric IBD.
• To explore the concept of distinct clinicopathologic entities within pediatric CD and UC.
• To provide practical tools for classifying pediatric IBD subphenotypes.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of current research on pediatric IBD.
• Analysis of clinical, pathological, and biomolecular features distinguishing pediatric CD and UC.
• Development of classification algorithms for pediatric IBD subphenotypes.

Main Results:

• Evidence supports the classification of pediatric CD and UC into various clinicopathologic entities.
• Distinct features of pediatric IBD suggest unique disease characteristics compared to adult IBD.
• Algorithms are proposed to aid in the distinction of pediatric IBD subphenotypes.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric IBD warrants classification into specific clinicopathologic entities.
• The proposed algorithms can assist clinicians and pathologists in subtyping pediatric IBD.
• Further research into pediatric IBD subphenotypes is essential for tailored treatment strategies.