In spite of significant scientific progress in recent years, the aetiopathogenesis of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) remains elusive. With a prevalence of 1:700 to 1:500 in central Europe, both diseases are not rare. However, most physicians will generally treat only a few patients with IBD in their clinical practice. Because of this limited experience and the variety of clinical IBD manifestations, IBD patients are frequently treated in specialized tertiary care centres. Nevertheless, IBD patients will also consult less specialized general practitioners, who will not be able to...

Chronic inflammatory bowel disease still represents a major gastroenterological challenge, in view of the unclear aetiology and unsatisfactory therapy. This book, the proceedings of a Falk Symposium held in Lubeck, Germany on 4--5 March 1994, will act as a vehicle for our current knowledge, and promote the dialogue between clinicians and those involved with the associated sciences. The book begins with international experts discussing the more recent theories concerning the aetiology and pathogenesis. Later on, the discussion turns to questions of diagnosis, and the conservative and surgical...

This book is the proceedings of the Falk Symposium No. 135 held in Prague, Czech Republic, on September 12-13, 2003, and is dedicated to the important issue of immunological aspects of diseases of the liver andgut. Without any doubt, immunological pathways are among the most important and universal factors in the pathogenesis of all diseases. Their importance is also constantly increasing, because these principles have beenadopted in clinical practice for both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Chapters by prominent experts will stimulate new ideas and set the scene for productive...