Abstract
The incidence of Crohn's disease in the pediatric population is increasing. While
pediatric patients with Crohn's disease exhibit many of the characteristics of older
patients, there are important differences in the clinical presentation and course
of disease that can impact the clinical decisions made during treatment. The majority
of children are diagnosed in the early teen years, but subgroups of very early onset
and infantile Crohn's present much earlier and have a unique clinical course. Treatment
paradigms follow the traditional laddered approach, but growth and development represent
special considerations that must be given to pediatric-specific complications of the
treatment and disease. Surgical intervention is an important component of Crohn's
management and is often employed to allow improved nutritional intake or decrease
reliance on medical treatments that compromise growth.
Keywords
pediatric - Crohn's disease - nutritional therapy - surgery
