[Value of ultrasound in diagnostic and follow-up of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases].

Transabdominal ultrasound as an easy to use, accurate, cost-effective and pleasant method has emerged as one of the most important imaging techniques in daily routine. Ultrasound is efficient for the diagnosis and differentiation of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). For monitoring disease activity and severity as well as identifying complications (stenosis, abscess and fistula) high-resolution ultrasonography with Doppler techniques and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is well suited. Perineal ultrasound and extravascular CEUS can give important information for clinical management of patients with IBD. The aim of this article is to give an updated overview about the clinical applications of ultrasound in the diagnosis and followup of patients with IBD. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.