title: Endoscopic treatment of strictures in Crohn's disease.
abstract: Patients with Crohn's disease often develop (recurring) intestinal stenosis. This is a result of continuous activation of fibrogenic cells by ongoing inflammation. Surgery is usually needed and consists of intestinal resection or strictureplasty. Medical therapy has not proven to be successful. Over the years endoscopic treatment has become more important. Uncomplicated stenosis, with a maximal length of 4 cm, can be treated by balloon dilatation. Indications, procedure and results are discussed. More recently, local corticosteroid injection in addition to balloon dilatation has been studied, but it remains to be seen whether long-term prevention of re-stenosis occurs. Other endoscopic therapies and new developments are also discussed in this chapter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Reinier de Graaf Group, Postbus 5011, 2600 GA Delft, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Erkelens
authors.forename: S J H
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: van Deventer
mesh_terms: D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome