Abstract

The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Korea and Asian countries is rapidly rising. There are no specific diagnostic tools for this malady and the diagnosis of IBD is based on the clinical, radiologic, endoscopic, pathologic findings. Endoscopy plays an important role for the diagnosis, follow-up, cancer surveillance and therapeutic interventions for IBD. This article reviews the utility of endoscopy for making the diagnosis of IBD and the key points of observation during the endoscopic procedures. (Korean J Gastrointest Endosc 2009;38:181-187)

• Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease, Endoscopy, Diagnosis