Endoscopic interventions for stricturing Crohn's disease

Abstract

Cumulative bowel damage in the form of stricturing Crohn's disease remains a common complication affecting up to half of patients with Crohn's disease.1 No selective antifibrotic therapies are available and anti-inflammatory interventions have shown limited long-term efficacy.2 Other than surgical strictureplasty or resection, the most commonly used endoscopic therapy for fibrotic strictures is endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD). Short-term and long-term success rates and safety of EBD have mainly been established in observational retrospective studies.