Which inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by transmural inflammation with potential for complications such as strictures and fistulas?

The inflammatory bowel disease characterized by transmural inflammation, which means that the inflammation affects all layers of the intestinal wall, is Crohn's disease. This depth of inflammation leads to a variety of complications, including the formation of strictures, which are narrowings of the intestines that can obstruct the passage of food and waste, and fistulas, which are abnormal connections that can form between different parts of the intestine or between the intestine and other organs.

The transmural nature of the inflammation in Crohn's disease differentiates it from ulcerative colitis, which primarily involves the mucosal and submucosal layers of the colon and does not typically lead to strictures or fistulas. Crohn's disease can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus and is often seen with areas of healthy tissue interspersed between inflamed segments, a pattern known as "skip lesions."

Diverticulitis is an inflammation of diverticula in the colon that may lead to localized abscesses or perforations but does not cause the extensive transmural inflammation seen in Crohn's disease. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder that does not involve inflammation and therefore does not present with the types of structural complications