The primary feature of IBD which distinguishes pediatric from adult patients is the presence of or potential for significant growth failure. Recognizing this complication before permanent stunting occurs is critically important. The onset of these disorders during childhood also means that many of these children will have a lifetime of disease and therapy, during both growing as well as reprodu...

Arthritis damages the cartilage within joints, resulting in degenerative changes, including loss of function and joint instability. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the spine and bone-to-tendon attachment area within the sacroiliac joint leading to back pain and progressive spinal stiffness. In the final stages, AS causes hyperkyphosis-a condition closel...

The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are uncommon and heterogeneous disorders. Their classification is based on distinct clinicopathologic features. Although idiopathic inflammatory myopathies share some similarities, different subtypes may have variable responses to therapy, so it is very important to distinguish the correct subtype. There are few randomised, double blind placebo controlled ...

OPINION STATEMENT Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an acquired, immune-mediated, non-length-dependent polyradiculoneuropathy that is progressive or relapsing over a period of at least 8 weeks, often evolving over time to a relatively symmetric pattern. Although the exact pathogenesis is unclear, it is thought to be mediated by both cellular and humoral reaction to the...

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). These diseases have become important health problems. Medical therapy for IBD has advanced dramatically in the last decade with the introduction of targeted biologic therapies, the optimization of older therapies, including rugs such ...