[Endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease]

Fiberoptic endoscopy is well established, safe and accurate for diagnosis and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Direct visualization of the mucosa and biopsy of suspected abnormalities are possible. The principal applications of endoscopy in IBD include discrimination of Crohn's disease from ulcerative colitis of o other inflammatory conditions (acute infectious colitis, chronic infections, microscopic colitis, ischemic/radiation colitis, colitis induced by NSAID), delineation of the sites of disease or extent, grading of endoscopic disease severity, and confirmation of complications such as stricture, fistula or mass. Finally, diagnosis of pouchitis, surveillance to detect precancer, or therapeutic interventions such as dilatation of strictures of electrocautery of bleeding sites are also important endoscopic applications.