Endoscopic Scoring System Utilization in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Endoscopic Scoring System Utilization for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Assessment

Inflammatory bowel diseases comprise two distinctive entities: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. During the last decade, endoscopic assessment of inflammation has become relevant since it is a prognostic factor. As a consequence, therapeutic targets now contemplate mucosal healing as part of the goals to be achieved. Endoscopic scores for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis have been developed to objectively assess the mucosal inflammatory activity. Although they may have some limitations, these scores have been widely accepted in referral centers, especially since they have been adopted as standard evaluation in inflammatory bowel disease clinical trials . However, their use in the setting of endoscopic practice outside centers with a high volume or with less experience in clinical trials is not known.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients who underwent colonoscopy for the evaluation of mucosal inflammatory activity
• Patients with an established diagnosis of either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Sigmoidoscopies performed in ulcerative colitis for the assessment of mucosal inflammatory activity