Inflammation is the gut's mute response to a myriad of diverse insults. Assigning a diagnosis
in such cases is often straightforward, particularly when an infectious etiology can be
identified. In the minority of presentations that represent new occurrences of the idiopathic
inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), making a positive diagnosis and, indeed, distinguishing
between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are also routine matters. However, a casual
diagnosis of IBD may result in critical errors in management in that incorrect diagnosis may …