Crohn’s disease is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory condition that usually produces cumulative transmural intestinal damage. Disease-related complications, such as intestinal strictures and intra-abdominal penetrating complications (including enteric fistulae, inflammatory masses and abscesses), are mostly managed via a surgical approach, with ileocecal resection plus ileocolic anastomosis being the most common procedure. Despite the curative intention of surgery, however, up to 70% of patients develop new mucosal lesions in the neoterminal ileum within the first year of intestinal resection if no preventive therapy is started early after surgery. This postoperative recurrence (POR) can be described as endoscopic, clinical or surgical. Endoscopic POR—defined as the presence of mucosal lesions in the neoterminal ileum, as assessed by ileocolonoscopy—precedes the development of symptoms (clinical POR), which may lead to the need for new surgical resections (surgical POR). Here we discuss the errors to avoid when managing patients with Crohn’s disease in the postoperative setting. The discussion is based on evidence, whenever possible, as well as on our clinical experience and perception of the field.

Experimental colitis models are used to study the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and develop new treatments. There are more than 50 models, but they have limited use in predicting the clinical relevance of therapeutic targets in IBD. These models broadly fit into four groups: spontaneous colitis, induced colitis from genetic abnormality, induced colitis from targeted mutation or transgene introduction, induced colitis from exogenous causative agents, and induction of colitis by manipulation of the immune system. There is a necessity to improve the methodological quality of animal studies.

Ultrasound is a routine diagnostic procedure widely used in gastroenterology departments worldwide, and gastrointestinal ultrasound (GIUS) has become increasingly important in diagnosing and following gastrointestinal disorders. Being a real-time imaging modality, it has some advantages over static imaging modalities such as CT and MRI, and it allows the examiner to perform various techniques and methods to enhance visualisation. GIUS requires more than essential ultrasound experience, and acquiring good images for correct interpretation can be challenging even for the experienced examiner. As such, there are several pitfalls that clinicians should be aware of. Based on our clinical experience with an evidence-based approach, we present the ten most common mistakes made in gastrointestinal ultrasound and how to avoid them.