What term describes the alternating areas of inflammation and normal colon in Crohn's disease?

In Crohn's disease, the term that describes the alternating areas of inflammation and normal tissue in the colon is known as skip lesions. This characteristic pattern is a hallmark of Crohn's disease, where inflammation does not affect the entire length of the intestine uniformly but appears in patchy segments. These segments of inflamed bowel tissue can be interspersed with healthy, unaffected areas.

This unique distribution of lesions makes it distinct from ulcerative colitis, where inflammation typically is continuous and spreads uniformly along the colon. Recognizing skip lesions is crucial for proper diagnosis and understanding the clinical implications of Crohn's disease.

Transmural lesions refer to the penetrating nature of the inflammation that affects all layers of the bowel wall, which can lead to complications like strictures or fistulas but do not specifically describe the alternating pattern. Continuous lesions would suggest uniform involvement, which is not characteristic of Crohn's disease. Fistulas are abnormal connections that may develop between loops of bowel or between bowel and other structures, which can occur in Crohn's disease but are not a descriptor for the pattern of inflammation.