TY - JOUR
T1 - Intestinal fibrosis in Crohn's disease
T2 - Medical treatment or surgery?
AU - Spinelli, Antonino
AU - Correale, Carmen
AU - Szabo, Hajnalka
AU - Montorsi, Marco
PY - 2010/2
Y1 - 2010/2
N2 - Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic panenteric disease of unknown aethiology which tends to progress in spite of medical or surgical treatment. Intestinal fibrosis is among the most common complications of CD, resulting in stricture formation in the small intestine and colon. About 75% of CD patients will undergo surgery at least once over the course of their disease and fibrotic strictures represent the main indication for surgery and the first cause of hospitalization and costs for CD patients. Clinical management of intestinal strictures depends on the type of stricture: inflammatory strictures are treated medically and are usually responsive to treatment, while fibrotic strictures require surgery. Clinical decisions regarding the right treatment choice for such conditions require proper knowledge on what to expect from the emerging drug strategies and surgical techniques. To achieve optimal results in patient management an approach combining the expertise of both gastroenterologist and colorectal surgeon is essential. This review aims at providing clinicians with an overview on fibrotic strictures in CD patients. Particular focus will be placed on the principal imaging modalities, and the medical, endoscopic and surgical treatment options with relative indications, according to the most recent evidence available.
AB - Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic panenteric disease of unknown aethiology which tends to progress in spite of medical or surgical treatment. Intestinal fibrosis is among the most common complications of CD, resulting in stricture formation in the small intestine and colon. About 75% of CD patients will undergo surgery at least once over the course of their disease and fibrotic strictures represent the main indication for surgery and the first cause of hospitalization and costs for CD patients. Clinical management of intestinal strictures depends on the type of stricture: inflammatory strictures are treated medically and are usually responsive to treatment, while fibrotic strictures require surgery. Clinical decisions regarding the right treatment choice for such conditions require proper knowledge on what to expect from the emerging drug strategies and surgical techniques. To achieve optimal results in patient management an approach combining the expertise of both gastroenterologist and colorectal surgeon is essential. This review aims at providing clinicians with an overview on fibrotic strictures in CD patients. Particular focus will be placed on the principal imaging modalities, and the medical, endoscopic and surgical treatment options with relative indications, according to the most recent evidence available.
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U2 - 10.2174/138945010790309984
DO - 10.2174/138945010790309984
M3 - Article
C2 - 19916949
AN - SCOPUS:77950844753
VL - 11
SP - 242
EP - 248
JO - Current Drug Targets
JF - Current Drug Targets
SN - 1389-4501
IS - 2
ER -