title: [Therapy of Crohn disease according to the guidelines of the German Society for the treatment of digestive and metabolic diseases].
abstract: Crohn's disease is still an incurable affliction: While various pathogenic mechanisms have been elucidated in detail, the etiology remains undetected. Conservative medical management is the mainstay of treatment with corticosteroids and azathioprin as pivotal drugs. Aminosalicylates are of minor importance. Infliximab may be effective for individual patients as a third line of treatment after failure of classical immunosuppression or when a rapid response is mandatory in a corticosteroid-resistant situation. Its long-term efficacy and safety in the treatment of fistulae is unknown. Antibiotics and nutritional measures may be of help in certain clinical conditions. Satisfactory means of maintaining remission in inactive patients is not available to date. Psychotherapy may be useful in helping patients to cope but does not significantly affect the course of the disease. The guidelines presented here are based on a consensus developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselkrankheiten in 1996 (26), updated in December 2001 (to be published) on the basis of recent randomized trials and meta-analyses.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Saale.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reissmann
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fleig
mesh_terms: D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D004066:Digestive System Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012955:Societies, Medical
vernacular_title: Therapie des Morbus Crohn entsprechend den aktualisierten Leitlinien der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselkrankheiten.