Overcoming challenges in IBD management

This slim volume of 76 pages presents the proceedings of Falk Symposium 187 held in Barcelona in April 2013. The chapters in this volume deal with a variety of interesting issues, however, these are brief and at best provide a bird's eye view of the topics covered. The first chapter covers tissue remodelling in IBD, focusing on epithelial-mesenchymal and endothelial-mesenchymal transition and mesenchymal cell fibrogenesis. The chapter on endoscopic assessment of the small bowel is quite brief but provides the Lewis score and CECDAI score system for scoring small bowel inflammation. Cross-sectional imaging modalities are more perfunctorily covered in the next chapter. A suggestive chapter titled “Challenging Question: Can We Diagnose Crohn's Disease without Histology?” concludes that we cannot. Strategic use of immunosuppressants and biologicals is briefly covered, as is the role of evidence based decision making in management. Management of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease, and management of extraintestinal disease (especially ocular, hepatic and skeletal) are covered in greater detail. Management of dysplasia, chemoprevention with 5-aminosalicylates, and use of immunosuppressants and biologicals in patients who previously had cancer, are also covered. While the topics listed in the book are suggestively titled, there is little new information in the book that will make it of special interest to an IBD specialist. Nevertheless, the book may be of interest to a more non-specialist audience and students.