scholarly journals Intestinal Ultrasound in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Valuable and Increasingly Important Tool

Author(s):  
Catarina Frias-Gomes ◽  
Joana Torres ◽  
Carolina Palmela

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Intestinal ultrasound is emerging as a non-invasive tool for monitoring disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease patients due to its low cost, excellent safety profile, and availability. Herein, we comprehensively review the role of intestinal ultrasound in the management of these patients. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> Intestinal ultrasound has a good accuracy in the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, as well as in the assessment of disease activity, extent, and evaluating disease-related complications, namely strictures, fistulae, and abscesses. Even though not fully validated, several scores have been developed to assess disease activity using ultrasound. Importantly, intestinal ultrasound can also be used to assess response to treatment. Changes in ultrasonographic parameters are observed as early as 4 weeks after treatment initiation and persist during short- and long-term follow-up. Additionally, Crohn’s disease patients with no ultrasound improvement seem to be at a higher risk of therapy intensification, need for steroids, hospitalisation, or even surgery. Similarly to Crohn’s disease, intestinal ultrasound has a good performance in the diagnosis, activity, and disease extent assessment in ulcerative colitis patients. In fact, in patients with severe acute colitis, higher bowel wall thickness at admission is associated with the need for salvage therapy and the absence of a significant decrease in this parameter may predict the need for colectomy. Short-term data also evidence the role of intestinal ultrasound in evaluating therapy response, with ultrasound changes observed after 2 weeks of treatment and significant improvement after 12 weeks of follow-up in ulcerative colitis. <b><i>Key Messages:</i></b> Intestinal ultrasound is a valuable tool to assess disease activity and complications, and to monitor response to therapy. Even though longer prospective data are warranted, intestinal ultrasound may lead to a change in the paradigm of inflammatory bowel disease management as it can be used in a point-of-care setting, enabling earlier intervention if needed.

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. 1267-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelika Hüppe ◽  
Jana Langbrandtner ◽  
Winfried Häuser ◽  
Heiner Raspe ◽  
Bernd Bokemeyer

Abstract Introduction Assessment of disease activity in Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) is usually based on the physician’s evaluation of clinical symptoms, endoscopic findings, and biomarker analysis. The German Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index for CD (GIBDICD) and UC (GIBDIUC) uses data from patient-reported questionnaires. It is unclear to what extent the GIBDI agrees with the physicians’ documented activity indices. Methods Data from 2 studies were reanalyzed. In both, gastroenterologists had documented disease activity in UC with the partial Mayo Score (pMS) and in CD with the Harvey Bradshaw Index (HBI). Patient-completed GIBDI questionnaires had also been assessed. The analysis sample consisted of 151 UC and 150 CD patients. Kappa coefficients were determined as agreement measurements. Results Rank correlations were 0.56 (pMS, GIBDIUC) and 0.57 (HBI, GIBDICD), with p < 0.001. The absolute agreement for 2 categories of disease activity (remission yes/no) was 74.2 % (UC) and 76.6 % (CD), and for 4 categories (none/mild/moderate/severe) 60.3 % (UC) and 61.9 % (CD). The kappa values ranged between 0.47 for UC (2 categories) and 0.58 for CD (4 categories). Discussion There is satisfactory agreement of GIBDI with the physician-documented disease activity indices. GIBDI can be used in health care research without access to assessments of medical practitioners. In clinical practice, the index offers a supplementary source of information.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlijn R. Lamers ◽  
Nicole M. de Roos ◽  
Ben J. M. Witteman

Abstract Background Diet may play a role in disease status in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We tested whether the inflammatory potential of diet, based on a summation of pro- and anti-inflammatory nutrients, is associated with disease activity in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Methods Participants completed a disease activity questionnaire (short Crohn’s Disease Activity (sCDAI) or Patient Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (P-SCCAI)) and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). FFQ data were used to calculate the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) which enables categorization of individuals’ diets according to their inflammatory potential on a continuum from pro- to anti-inflammatory. Associations with disease activity were investigated by multiple linear regression. Results The analysis included 329 participants; 168 with Crohn’s disease (median sCDAI score 93 [IQR 47–156]), and 161 with ulcerative colitis (median P-SCCAI score 1 [IQR 1–3]). Mean DII was 0.71 ± 1.33, suggesting a slightly pro-inflammatory diet. In Crohn’s disease, the DII was positively associated with disease activity, even after adjustment for confounders (p = 0.008). The mean DII was significantly different between participants in remission and with mild and moderately active disease (0.64, 0.97 and 1.52 respectively, p = 0.027). In ulcerative colitis, the association was not significant. Conclusions Disease activity was higher in IBD participants with a more pro-inflammatory diet with statistical significance in Crohn’s disease. Although the direction of causality is not clear, this association strengthens the role for diet in medical treatment, which should be tested in an intervention study.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-13
Author(s):  
P.V. Shumilov ◽  
◽  
A.E. Shchigoleva ◽  

Objective. To clarify the incidence of monogenic IBD-like diseases and the features of clinical course and response to therapy of major types of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) among children under the age of 6 with manifestation of the disease. Patients and methods. The study included 135 children under the age of 6 with manifestation of IBD; in the comparison group, there were 128 children after the age of 6 with manifestation of IBD (97 children with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 31 children with Crohn’s disease (CD)) who were observed for at least 1 year. All children underwent a standard examination, including calprotectin and antineutrophil antibodies testing, determination of activity by the Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) or the Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (PCDAI), depending on the nosology. Children with the onset of IBD under 6 years of age underwent a genetic testing using Primary Immunodeficiency Panel by next-generation sequencing. All children were analyzed for efficacy of therapy during catamnestic observation. Results. It was revealed that in the study group the incidence of monogenic IBD-like diseases was 6.7%, of UC – 71.1%, of CD – 22.2%. Major types of IBD with very early onset differed little in their clinical, endoscopic and laboratory features from the forms with manifestation at an older age. In most cases, both CD (57%) and UC (71%) were characterized by low activity. Very earlyonset CD was characterized by isolated localization of the colon (53%, p = 0.037) and a non-stenotic and non-penetrating behaviour of the disease (60% of cases). The leading clinical symptoms were diarrhea (67%) and blood in the stool (63%, p = 0.04). Very early-onset UC was characterized by total lesion of the colon (84%, p = 0.001) and the development of anemia (48%, p = 0.01). Among children with very early-onset UC, the percentage of glucocorticosteroid-dependence and glucocorticosteroid-resistance was high, but anti-TNFα therapy was prescribed late. Conclusion. It is advisable to observe children with very early-onset IBD in federal multidisciplinary clinics, where there is experience in managing patients with this pathology. Key words: inflammatory bowel disease, very early onset, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, primary immunodeficiency, treatment, children


1990 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 404-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Grant Gall

As no curative therapy exists, supportive measures play an important role in the management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBO). Aminosalicylic acid (ASA) compounds and corticosteroids remain the mainstay of medical therapy. Aminosalicylates are recommended for therapy of mild to moderate active ulcerative colitis and for the maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis. The role of 5-ASA preparations in Crohn's disease is less clear. In granulomatous colitis, 5-ASA therapy is recommended. With the development of new delivery systems, the role for 5-ASA in the treatment of small bowel Crohn's disease is under investigation. Prednisone remains the drug of choice in severe ulcerative colitis and active Crohn's disease. The role of immunosuppressive drugs in pediatric patients is unclear. Nutritional therapy has been an important advance in the treatment of children with Crohn's disease, especially those with growth failure. Nutritional therapy can consist of combined total parenteral and enteral nutrition or enteral nutrition alone. An initial period of total parenteral nutrition followed by a six to eight week course of enteral therapy with a semisynthetic diet has been shown to be effective in the management of patients with severe active disease and growth failure.


1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-119
Author(s):  
Jonathan Braun ◽  
Yadrira Valles-Ayoub ◽  
Linda Berberian ◽  
Mark Eggena ◽  
Lynn K Gordon ◽  
...  

Clonal patterns of B cell activity have been recognized in inflammatory bowel disease, most notably in the immunogenetic relationship of perinuclear-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies to ulcerative colitis. Conceptually, this most likely reflects the B cell response to antigens predominating at these sites of mucosal inflammation. Identification of these B cell clones and their antigenic targets may be of pathogenetic and practical importance to diagnosis and treatment. The authors describe strategies to identify such clones, based on recent advances in the characterization and detection of antibody gene products. As an example of this strategy, a clonal detection system was used to identify new marker antibodies potentially useful in the laboratory diagnosis of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. One surprising outcome of such studies is the unexpected and specific association of the B cell clonal response inCampylobacter jejunienterocolitis and inflammatory bowel disease. By analogy to the pathogenetic role ofHelicobacter pylori-induced mucositis in peptic ulcer disease, this evidence renews attention to the role of Cjejuniin the initiation of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1111-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Plevris ◽  
C S Chuah ◽  
R M Allen ◽  
I D Arnott ◽  
P N Brennan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background & Aims Vedolizumab is an anti-a4b7 monoclonal antibody that is licensed for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The aims of this study were to establish the real-world effectiveness and safety of vedolizumab for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Methods This was a retrospective study involving seven NHS health boards in Scotland between June 2015 and November 2017. Inclusion criteria included: a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease with objective evidence of active inflammation at baseline (Harvey–Bradshaw Index[HBI] ≥5/Partial Mayo ≥2 plus C-reactive protein [CRP] >5 mg/L or faecal calprotectin ≥250 µg/g or inflammation on endoscopy/magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]); completion of induction; and at least one clinical follow-up by 12 months. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to establish 12-month cumulative rates of clinical remission, mucosal healing, and deep remission [clinical remission plus mucosal healing]. Rates of serious adverse events were described quantitatively. Results Our cohort consisted of 180 patients with ulcerative colitis and 260 with Crohn’s disease. Combined median follow-up was 52 weeks (interquartile range [IQR] 26–52 weeks). In ulcerative colitis, 12-month cumulative rates of clinical remission, mucosal healing, and deep remission were 57.4%, 47.3%, and 38.5%, respectively. In Crohn’s disease, 12-month cumulative rates of clinical remission, mucosal healing, and deep remission were 58.4%, 38.9%, and 28.3% respectively. The serious adverse event rate was 15.6 per 100 patient-years of follow-up. Conclusions Vedolizumab is a safe and effective treatment for achieving both clinical remission and mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.


Author(s):  
Åsa H Everhov ◽  
Gustaf Bruze ◽  
Jonas Söderling ◽  
Johan Askling ◽  
Jonas Halfvarson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/Aim Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have more work disability than the general population. We aimed to estimate the monetary cost of IBD for the individual through assessment of earnings in relation to diagnosis. Methods Through linkage of national registers we identified patients aged 30-55 years at first IBD diagnosis in Sweden 2002-2011, and same-sex IBD-free siblings. We estimated taxable earnings and disposable income from 5 years before to 5 years after diagnosis. Results The 5,961 patients (27% Crohn’s disease, 68% ulcerative colitis, 4.3% IBD unclassified) had similar taxable earnings as their 7,810 siblings until the year of diagnosis, when earnings decreased and remained lower than in siblings during follow-up. The adjusted difference in earnings over the entire 5-year period after diagnosis was -5% (-8,212€; 95%CI: -11,458 to-4,967). The difference was larger in women than in men, and larger in Crohn’s disease than in ulcerative colitis. When stratifying for sex and IBD subtype and comparing earnings during each year of follow-up, the median annual earnings were lower in women with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis than in their sisters during all years of follow-up, whereas the men had similar annual taxable earnings as their brothers. The disposable income was similar between patients and siblings during the investigated time period. Conclusion From the year of diagnosis and at least 5 years onwards, patients with IBD had 5% lower earnings than siblings, mainly explained by differences between women with IBD and their sisters. However, there were no differences in disposable income.


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