Fibro-Stenosing Crohn’s Disease: What Is New and What Is Next?

Abstract

Fibro-stenosing Crohn’s disease (CD) is a common disease presentation that leads to impaired quality of life and often requires endoscopic treatments or surgery. From a pathobiology perspective, the conventional view that intestinal fibro-stenosis is an irreversible condition has been disproved. Currently, there are no existing imaging techniques that can accurately quantify the amount of fibrosis within a stricture, and managing patients is challenging, requiring a multidisciplinary team. Novel therapies targeting different molecular components of the fibrotic pathways are increasing regarding other diseases outside the gut. However, a large gap between clinical need and the lack of anti-fibrotic agents in CD remains. This paper reviews the current state of pathobiology behind fibro-stenosing CD, provides an updated diagnostic and therapeutic approach, and finally, focuses on clinical trial endpoints and possible targets of anti-fibrotic therapies.

Keywords

• fibrosis
• stricture
• IBD
• cross-sectional imaging
• balloon
• stricturoplasty