-
- Jan Wehkamp, Martin Götz, Klaus Herrlinger, Wolfgang Steurer, and Eduard F Stange.
- Department of Internal Medicine I - Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectiology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Asklepios Klinik Nord - Heidberg, Hamburg, Department of Internal Medicine I (Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology), Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart.
- Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2016 Feb 5; 113 (5): 72-82.
BackgroundInflammatory bowel diseases are common in Europe, with prevalences as high as 1 in 198 persons (ulcerative colitis) and 1 in 310 persons (Crohn's disease).MethodsThis review is based on pertinent articles retrieved by a search in PubMed and in German and European guidelines and Cochrane reviews of controlled trials.ResultsTypically, the main clinical features of inflammatory bowel diseases are diarrhea, abdominal pain, and, in the case of ulcerative colitis, peranal bleeding. These diseases are due to a complex immunological disturbance with both genetic and environmental causes. A defective mucosal barrier against commensal bowel flora plays a major role in their pathogenesis. The diagnosis is based on laboratory testing, ultrasonography, imaging studies, and, above all, gastrointestinal endoscopy. Most patients with Crohn's disease respond to budesonide or systemic steroids; aminosalicylates are less effective. Refractory exacerbations may be treated with antibodies against tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or, more recently, antibodies against integrin, a protein of the cell membrane. In ulcerative colitis, aminosalicylates are given first; if necessary, steroids or antibodies against TNF-α or integrin are added. Maintenance therapy to prevent further relapses often involves immunosuppression with thiopurines and/or antibodies. Once all conservative treatment options have been exhausted, surgery may be necessary.ConclusionThe treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases requires individually designed therapeutic strategies and the close interdisciplinary collaboration of internists and surgeons.
Notes
Knowledge, pearl, summary or comment to share?You can also include formatting, links, images and footnotes in your notes
- Simple formatting can be added to notes, such as
*italics*
,_underline_
or**bold**
. - Superscript can be denoted by
<sup>text</sup>
and subscript<sub>text</sub>
. - Numbered or bulleted lists can be created using either numbered lines
1. 2. 3.
, hyphens-
or asterisks*
. - Links can be included with:
[my link to pubmed](http://pubmed.com)
- Images can be included with:
![alt text](https://bestmedicaljournal.com/study_graph.jpg "Image Title Text")
- For footnotes use
[^1](This is a footnote.)
inline. - Or use an inline reference
[^1]
to refer to a longer footnote elseweher in the document[^1]: This is a long footnote.
.