Inflammatory bowel disease in adolescents.

IBD in children is more aggressive in nature, with additional issues of growth failure, delayed puberty and the consequences of a chronic disease commencing at a vulnerable period of psychosocial development. Traditional treatment targets focus on symptom control, but this is insufficient as long-term, end-organ (bowel) damage results from insufficiently controlled inflammation. In this article, we provide a brief overview of IBD in adolescents and cover key management issues, particularly focusing on newer treatment end-points by aiming for high rates of intestinal mucosal healing and evidence to support this approach.