The role of an endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease

Commentary: Indications for endoscopy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are diverse and are commonly prompted by acute events or the need for colorectal cancer screening. In this article, Dr Charles Bernstein provides a critical review of the value and yield of an endoscopy in various clinical scenarios where an endoscopy is commonly entertained in patients with IBD. The author emphasizes that an endoscopy should not routinely be used to evaluate disease activity in patients who are doing well and are in remission. A summary table (Table 1) provides 10 valuable tips about how to integrate an endoscopy into the management of patients with IBD.

– Ronnie Fass, MD, Editor