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International audience; Abstract Background and Aims Diagnosis and follow up of patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] requires cross-sectional imaging modalities, such as intestinal ultrasound [IUS], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], and computed tomography [CT]. The quality and homogeneity of medical reporting are crucial to ensure effective communication between specialists and to improve patient care. The current topical review addresses optimized reporting requirements for cross-sectional imaging in IBD. Methods An expert consensus panel consisting of gastroenterologists, radiologists, and surgeons convened by the ECCO in collaboration with ESGAR performed a systematic literature review covering the reporting aspects of MRI, CT, IUS, endoanal ultrasonography, and transperineal ultrasonography in IBD. Practice position statements were developed utilizing a Delphi methodology incorporating two consecutive rounds. Current practice positions were set when ≥80% of the participants agreed on a recommendation. Results Twenty-five practice positions were developed, establishing standard terminology for optimal reporting in cross-sectional imaging. Assessment of inflammation, complications, and imaging of perianal CD are outlined. The minimum requirements of a standardized report, including a list of essential reporting items, have been defined. Conclusions This topical review offers practice recommendations to optimize and homogenize reporting in cross-sectional imaging in IBD.

Crohn’s disease [CD] is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] that can result in progressive bowel damage and disability1. CD can affect individuals of any age, from children to the elderly, 2, 3 and may cause significant morbidity and impact on quality of life. Up to one-third of patients present with complicated behaviour [strictures, fistula, or abscesses] at diagnosis4. Most patients over time will develop a complication, with roughly 50% of patients requiring surgery within 10 years of diagnosis5-7. As the precise aetiology of CD remains unknown, a curative therapy is not yet available8. Several agents are available for the medical treatment of CD. Medical agents include mesalazine [5-ASA], locally active steroids [such as budesonide], systemic steroids, thiopurines such as azathioprine [AZA] and mercaptopurine [MP], methotrexate [MTX], and biological therapies [such as anti-TNF, anti-integrins, and anti-IL12/23]. The European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation [ECCO] produces and regularly updates several guidelines aimed at providing evidence-based guidance on critical aspects of IBD care to all healthcare professionals who manage patients with IBD. To provide high-quality evidence-based recommendations on medical and surgical treatment in CD, ECCO decided to develop these guidelines by adopting the GRADE [Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation] approach9. GRADE is a systematic process for developing guidelines that addresses how to frame the healthcare questions, summarize the evidence, ..

Our knowledge on COVID-19 is changing and evolving rapidly, with novel insights and recommendations, almost on a daily basis. It behooves the medical community to provide updated information on a regular basis, on best practice to facilitate optimal care of infected patients and appropriate advice for the general population. This is particularly important in the case of patients with chronic conditions, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). In this paper, we compiled the existing evidence on the impact of COVID-19 in IBD patients and provide guidance and on the most appropriate care to adopt during the pandemic. Our review highlighted that IBD, per se, is not a risk factor for COVID-19. However, all IBD patients with symptoms should be tested for SARS-CoV-2 and the procedures for disease management shall be carefully adapted: i) in SARS-CoV-2 positive IBD patients, medical treatments should be re-evaluated (with particular focus on corticosteroids) always with the purpose of treating active disease and maintaining remission; ii) non-urgent surgeries and endoscopic procedures should be postponed for all patients; iii) online consultancy should be implemented; and iv) hospitalization and surgery should be limited to life threatening situations

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global outbreak of new onset infections with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. To date, more than 3.4 million people have been infected throughout the world. In Germany, approximately 450,000 patients suffer from inflammatory bowel disease; these patients generally require continuous expert care and support. Against the background of a rapidly accumulating knowledge base on SARS-CoV-2, 68 expert authors of the current DGVS guidelines for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis took part in a virtual meeting to compile up-to-date, practice-orientated recommendations aimed at improving the care of patients with IBD. These recommendations address the risk of infection, including the risk for specific patient groups, the possible course of the disease, and consequences for pharmacological and surgical therapies of the underlying disease, as well as general measures for infection prevention and adjuvant prophylactic and therapeutic options.

Die COVID-19-Pandemie ist ein weltweiter Ausbruch von neu aufgetretenen Infektionen mit dem SARS-CoV-2-Virus, von denen weltweit derzeit mehr als 10.670.000 Menschen erkrankt sind bzw. waren. In Deutschland leiden ca. 450.000 Patienten an einer chronisch entzündlichen Darmerkrankung; diese Patienten benötigen in der Regel eine kontinuierliche und kompetente Betreuung. Vor dem Hintergrund eines rasch zunehmenden Wissenszuwachses haben 68 Experten, die die derzeit gültigen Leitlinien der DGVS zum Morbus Crohn und zur Colitis ulcerosa erstellt haben, im Rahmen einer virtuellen Konferenz aktuelle und praxisnahe Empfehlungen formuliert, um die Versorgung von CED-Patienten zu verbessern. Diese adressieren das Infektionsrisiko einschließlich des Risikos für besondere Gruppen, den möglichen Verlauf der Erkrankung und die Konsequenzen für die medikamentöse und die operative Therapie der Grunderkrankung sowie allgemeine Maßnahmen zur Infektionsprävention und adjuvante Präventions- und Therapiemöglichkeiten.

The global prevalence of cancer is increasing, largely as more patients are living into old age. Therefore, gastroenterologists caring for patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] increasingly are managing patients with cancer, or a previous history of cancer. This often requires joint management with the patient’s oncologist, enabling case-by-case decision-making based on the characteristics and expected evolution of the index cancer. Previously, no European guidelines existed describing the impact of IBD on malignancy. For this reason, the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation [ECCO] Guidelines Committee [GuiCom] decided to elaborate a set of Consensus Statements on optimal risk/benefit strategies for treating IBD patients with cancer or a history of cancer. The development of clinical practice guidelines is expensive and time consuming, and it is the Committee’s hope that these statements will facilitate and accelerate future efforts to elaborate formal guidelines, providing useful information on areas for which evidence is lacking and where controlled studies are needed. The strategy used to produce the Consensus Statements involved five steps: 1. Two members of Guicom [VA and RE] identified four main topics that needed to be addressed: a] IBD and solid tumours; b] IBD and skin and haematological malignancies; c] malignancy related to therapy: risk and prevention; and d] management of IBD patients with a history of malignancy. During 2014, calls for participation in the drafting of consensus statements were issued to ECCO members, and selected oncologists known for their expertise and active research in the field were invited to join the Consensus. Participants were selected by the Committee, and four working groups were created, each composed of a chairperson [LE, RE, LB, and VA], two ECCO members including young members [Y-ECCO], and one or two experienced oncologists. The chairmen and their groups elaborated relevant questions on topics dealing with current practice and/or areas …