[Scores and stages in gastroenterology]

Staging and grading are indispensable in clinical gastroenterology in order to determine disease activity or therapeutic outcomes in a systematic and reproducible way. Adequate diagnosis, patient care and appropriate therapy will often depend on accurate staging and grading. Some of the most commonly encountered diseases in clinical gastroenterology and gastrointestinal endoscopy are gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease, gastrointestinal vascular disorders such as hemorrhoids and esophageal varices as well as inflammatory bowel diseases. Some of the clinically most useful pertinent indices are summarized in this section.