Abdominal Key

4 Diagnosis The differential diagnosis of common presentations of IBD is shown in Tables 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4. In younger patients (under 50 years) the main differential diagnoses, depending…

1 Etiopathogenesis Overview Heterogeneous disorders. The collective term inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) obscures the distinctive nature of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These are separate conditions, with some overlapping and…

5 Drugs used to treat inflammatory bowel disease This chapter outlines the pharmacology, mechanism of action, indications, side effects, monitoring and contraindications of drugs currently used as specific anti-inflammatory agents…

8 Medical management of Crohn’s disease Treatment of Crohn’s disease not only depends on disease activity and site, as in ulcerative colitis, but also needs to be tailored according to…

3 Extraintestinal manifestations and complications The many systemic associations and complications of IBD affect 6–50% of patients with the disease; most affect the liver/biliary tree, joints, skin and eyes (Table…

7 Medical management of ulcerative colitis Treatment of active ulcerative colitis Treatment is determined by: • the extent of disease • the severity of the attack. Knowledge of the extent…

9 Surgery The management of IBD requires close liaison between physician and colorectal surgeon. Specialist nursing care, including that from a stoma therapist, is also necessary both pre- and postoperatively….

2 Clinical features and intestinal complications Clinical features of ulcerative colitis The onset of ulcerative colitis is usually gradual, and its natural history chronic, with relapses and remissions over many…