The term “inflammatory bowel disease” has been used to refer to both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, the causes of which are unknown.
Crohn’s disease is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract but most commonly occurs in the ileum (the area where the small and large intestine meet). Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory disease of the large intestine and rectum characterized by bloody diarrhea.