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. 2012:2012:467979.
doi: 10.1155/2012/467979. Epub 2012 Feb 29.

The valuable role of endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease

Matthew J Hamilton  1
Affiliations

The valuable role of endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease

Matthew J Hamilton. Diagn Ther Endosc. 2012.

Abstract

Endoscopy is a valuable clinical tool for the clinician who takes care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The role of endoscopy in the diagnosis, management, and treatment of IBD is discussed in this review. The central role that colonoscopy plays in screening for colon cancer in patients with longstanding IBD is also addressed.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Endoscopic features of Crohn's disease. Several key endoscopic features of Crohn's disease are depicted including apthous ulcers (a), cobblestoning (b), serpiginous ulcers (c), and a stricture in the terminal ileum (d).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Endoscopic features of ulcerative colitis images of the various degrees of severity of inflammation as assessed by endoscopy are shown compared to a normal colon (a). Mild inflammation is depicted in (b), moderate inflammation in (c), and severe inflammation in (d).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Findings in the terminal ileum. An ulcer (black arrow) is seen 3 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve in a patient with Crohn's disease (a). Erosions in the terminal ileum are shown in a patient who presented with guaiac positive stools and had been taking NSAIDs for back pain (b).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Protruding lesions seen during colon cancer screening in IBD. A patient with left-sided ulcerative colitis was found to have a sporadic adenomatous polyp (black arrow) at the ileocecal valve (a). An adenoma-like DALM (black arrow) in an area of previous inflammation (b) and a non-adenoma-like DALM (black arrow) (c) were identified in 2 patients screened for colon cancer. Pseudopolyps were found in a patient with longstanding ulcerative colitis (d).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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