[Inflammatory bowel diseases in adults. Development and complications].

The courses of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are marked by the unforeseeable occurrence of acute episodes of varying intensity during which complications may develop. Owing to the anatomical and topographical specificities of the colonic lesions, the evolutive profiles of these two diseases are very different. For the moment, there is no criterion at the onset of the diseases that can help in predicting their subsequent courses.