PEDIATRIC INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE

Increased intraocular pressure in children receiving corticosteroids for inflammatory bowel disease is an important new complication reported this past year. The incidence of glaucoma is unknown, but this finding suggests that careful ophthalmologic follow-up of children on corticosteroids may be important. A new study of Indium-111 leukocyte scans in children compared favorably with radiographic studies and surgical findings in inflammatory bowel disease. Indium scans may be most useful in the evaluation of small bowel Crohn's disease. Upper intestinal symptoms in Crohn's disease may be related to delayed gastric emptying. In a study of children with inflammatory bowel disease, none with ulcerative colitis, but 30% with Crohn's disease had abnormal gastric emptying. Anemia in children with Crohn's disease is common and may be due to malabsorption. In a recent study, 10 of 11 children with Crohn's disease had malabsorption of iron, whereas only six of the 11 had occult blood loss.