Dermatologic Manifestations of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Review

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing disease of the gastrointestinal tract with unknown etiology and pathogenesis. It includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Approximately one-third of the patients with IBD are seen to develop extraintestinal manifestations, among which cutaneous manifestations are the most common and should be managed in close collaboration with a dermatologist. Depending upon the nature of the association, skin conditions associated with IBD can be listed under 4 categories: specific, reactive, secondary to malnutrition or malabsorption, and secondary to drug therapy. Skin conditions that do not fit into these categories are listed under the fifth category named as miscellaneous by some authors. The aim of the present review is to discuss some of the noteworthy skin disorders associated with IBD and highlight their importance in context to IBD.