The present review summarises the detailed recommendations for an optimal endoscopic-bioptic diagnostic procedure, endoscopic surveillance of and therapy for gastrointestinal diseases. The recommendations are mainly based on the S 3-guidelines and have been developed by histopathologists and gastroenterologists in interdisciplinary work. The material has been arranged according to topographic regions of the gastrointestinal tract and clinical problems. The focus is placed on diagnostic and surveillance of Barrett's oesophagus, therapy and postoperative treatment for early gastrointestinal carcinoma, management of colon polyps and endoscopic surveillance of inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment recommendations for both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease as well as low-grade and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and polypoid neoplasia are currently being intensively discussed. Thus we examine this controversial discussion in detail. Furthermore, the recent guidelines for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and gastric MALT-lymphoma diagnostics are included in this survey. To allow the gastroenterologist a time-sparing overview during practical work, most of the recommendations are presented in itemised form and summarised in tables and figures at the end of the discussion.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York.