Infl ammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) encompasses two major chronic gastrointestinal diseases
of unknown origin: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). UC solely aff ects the colon,
whereas CD can involve any component of the gastrointestinal tract from the oral cavity
to the anus. In 2004, an estimated 1.4 million persons in the United States and 2.2 million
persons in Europe suff ered from these diseases.1 The incidence of IBD has been increasing
over the years, which for UC varies greatly between 0.5 and 24.5/105 inhabitants, and for CD
varies between 0.1 and 16/105 inhabitants worldwide.2, 3 The prevalence rates of IBD reach up
to 396/105 inhabitants.
