Immunomodulators are associated with a lower risk of first surgery among patients with non-penetrating non-stricturing Crohn's disease.

Objectives: Early immunomodulator therapy may alter the natural history of Crohn's disease in certain patients. We determined whether immunomodulator use was associated with a lower risk of first surgery among patients with non-stricturing non-penetrating Crohn's disease.

Methods: A total of 159 consecutive patients with non-penetrating non-stricturing Crohn's disease from 1994 to 2005 were retrospectively identified and followed from diagnosis to either first surgery (surgery group) or last clinic follow-up (medication group) in a historical cohort analysis.

Oral mesalamine and clinical remission are associated with a decrease in the extent of long-standing ulcerative colitis.

Objective: To compare colonoscopy alone with surveillance biopsy for the determination of anatomic extent in long-standing ulcerative colitis (UC). To assess the influences of mesalamine use and clinical disease activity on the change of histologic extent with time.

Materials And Methods: Disease extent (proctosigmoiditis, left-sided colitis, or pancolitis) measured by colonoscopy and surveillance biopsy was compared among 212 consecutive patients with long-standing UC.