Innovations in the imaging of the small bowel have relevance to the task of improving outcomes in Crohn’s disease (CD). Although new tools for visualizing disease are accelerating diagnosis in the subset of cases in which the colon or terminal ileum are not involved, novel techniques also can guide therapy in those with severe disease, including those with extramural involvement and those whose symptoms persist after readily visible mucosa is healed. 

The goal of therapy in Crohn’s disease (CD) has been shifting from symptom suppression to disease control on the basis that more complete resolution of inflammatory activity will reduce the risk for disease flares. Although there is incomplete evidence that mucosal healing changes the natural history of CD, a relative reduction in hospitalizations has been documented in patients who achieve mucosal healing when compared with those who do not.¹ 

Most otherwise healthy individuals experience occasional episodes of heartburn. This makes an accurate diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) difficult as it depends, in part, on the relative frequency and severity of symptoms.

When current gastroenterology fellows at major teaching hospitals complete their training in the management of esophageal disorders, they will be the first graduates able to incorporate several previously experimental forms of technology into routine clinical practice.