Non-Invasive Methods of Diagnosis and Management of Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract

The global incidence and age-standardized prevalence rate of ulcerative colitis (UC) is increasing worldwide. It is a debilitating and lifelong inflammatory disease affecting both pediatric and adult patients. Thus, it is important to focus on modern treat-to-target approach, based on a tight control of the disease with close monitoring through interval assessments and modification of the treatment. Endoscopy remains the key method for UC assessment, but recent guidelines focus on implementation of non-invasive methods for UC diagnosis and management such as biomarkers (C-reactive protein, fecal calprotectin, and fecal lactofferin) and imaging methods (intestinal ultrasound). We summarize the diagnostic performance of non-invasive tests and present current evidence-based non-invasive strategy recommendations for UC monitoring.