Gastroenterology and hepatology
Inflammatory bowel disease
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease compared, severity scores, induction and maintenance therapy, acute severe colitis, extraintestinal disease, pregnancy and cancer surveillance.
Tier 1Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- Ulcerative colitis (UC) is continuous mucosal inflammation that starts in the rectum and extends proximally. Crohn's disease (CD) is patchy transmural inflammation anywhere from mouth to anus, most often the terminal ileum.
- Australia and New Zealand have among the highest IBD rates in the world, with about 100,000 to 150,000 Australians affected. Onset peaks at 15 to 35 years.
- Treatment has two phases: induce remission, then maintain it with steroid-free therapy. Steroids are for induction only.
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Sources
- Therapeutic Guidelines: Gastrointestinal (eTG complete), inflammatory bowel diseaseAU/NZTherapeutic Guidelines Limited
- Crohn's & Colitis Australia, resources for health professionalsAU/NZCrohn's & Colitis Australia
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme: authority restrictions for biological and small-molecule therapies in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitisAU/NZAustralian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
- ECCO Guidelines on Therapeutics in Ulcerative Colitis: Medical Treatment. J Crohns Colitis 2026European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation, 2026
- ECCO Guidelines on Therapeutics in Crohn's Disease: Medical Treatment. J Crohns Colitis 2024European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation, 2024
- ACG Clinical Guideline Update: Ulcerative Colitis in Adults. Am J Gastroenterol 2025;120:1187-224; and ACG Clinical Guideline: Management of Crohn's Disease in Adults (2025)American College of Gastroenterology, 2025
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Personal emails, About story and Australian-style copy