Inflammatory Bowel Disease is diagnosed using a combination of laboratory (blood and stool markers) endoscopy, radiology and pathology tests. Other infectious, nutritional, immune, neurologic, psychiatric issues can be present and need to be evaluated to fully understand the presentation of IBD.
Endoscopic assessment includes:
All patients with IBD have a risk of large bowel (colon) cancer related to inflammation, disease duration as well as family history, nutrition and associated liver disease (primary sclerosing cholangitis, PSC). Early cancerous lesions are often invisible with the use of a regular endoscopy instrument. Our center uses advanced techniques that involve spraying a dye on the surface of the bowel (chromoendoscopy) or using a laser device that functions as microscope for live views of your cells in the bowel (confocal laser endomicroscopy, pCLE).
Imaging methods often times require special protocols. Instead of plain CT scan or MRI we use a variation called CT enterography or MR enterography. The assessment of anal complications requires MRI with a fistula protocol and for those with associated liver disease (primary sclerosing cholangitis, PSC) there is a special MRI called MRCP.
Many patients with IBD have metabolic problems which include fatty liver. We offer a non-invasive test (Fibroscan) that measures the amount of fatty tissue and scar in the liver. Learn more >