[Crohn's disease of the large intestine and ulcerative colitis. Basis for morphological differential diagnosis (author's transl)].

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis play a vital role in the differential diagnosis of inflammatory diseases of the colon during childhood. Pediatricians, radiologists, pediatric surgions and pediatric pathologists have been frequently confronted with the problem of distinguishing the two diseases. Morphologically, both diseases could be definitely differentiated but this is largely dependent on the art and the quantity of the submitted materials to be examined. It is, therefor, important to consider and differentiate their macroscopic and histologic features in relation to the type of inflammation, the pattern of its localization and spread, the involvement of different layers of the large intestinal wall etc. The basic essential differences lie on the primary site of injury and the pattern of its inflammatory response. Both specific and non-specific characteristics of the two diseases would be discussed here.