Value of colonoscopy for prediction of prognosis in patients with ulcerative colitis

Novel endoscopic activity index is useful for choosing treatment in severe active ulcerative colitis patients

“…During the past 10 years, CsA has been given to patients with severe steroid refractory UC with the intention of avoiding colectomy. Little information is currently available on factors predictive of response to intravenous CsA [16]. Cacheux et al identified [17] higher body temperature, heart rate, and CRP at the initiation of CsA as predictive criteria for colectomy.…”

“…Only patients who received sigmoidoscopy before and after treatments were selected for study. Of these, 48 patients treated with intravenous steroid and 43 treated with CsA had an EAI [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. UC patients with relapses were hospitalized, sigmoidoscopy was performed to confirm the presence of active inflammation before CsA therapy or steroid therapy was initiated.…”

Ulcerative colitis six years after colon cancer: only a coincidence?

“…Additionally, in left-side colitis, it is possible that cancer occurs in areas seemingly normal macroscopically, centrally to the visible inflammatory lesions. Despite the fact that the endoscopic picture we get with colonoscopy satisfactorily reflects the extent and degree of inflammation, discrepancies can occur between endoscopic findings and histopathologic findings 11,13. Even if the endoscopic study suggests remission of the disease and the mucosa appears normal, microscopic abnormalities can persist in histopathology 13.…”

“…Despite the fact that the endoscopic picture we get with colonoscopy satisfactorily reflects the extent and degree of inflammation, discrepancies can occur between endoscopic findings and histopathologic findings 11,13. Even if the endoscopic study suggests remission of the disease and the mucosa appears normal, microscopic abnormalities can persist in histopathology 13. Furthermore, many patients who develop CRC do so on a background of disease that is in a quiescent stage both histologically and clinically 11,14…”

Advances in <em>In-Vivo</em> Imaging of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Mediators

“…A number of novel imaging technologies are emerging that complement or may even replace endoscopy as the gold standard for clinical diagnosis, as recently reviewed [4]. Chromoendography involves the application of dyes onto the mucosa, improving endoscopic characterization of lesions and neoplasia and potentially correlating with histological damage, although the latter remains controversial [5]. Confocal laser endomicroscopy and endocytoscopy combine high resolution microscopic imaging with endoscopy and again are primarily used to detect colonic dysplasia and neoplasia [6].…”