[Inflammatory intestinal diseases: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Early diagnosis and treatment]

Early rather characteristic symptoms are found in ulcerative colitis as well as in Crohn's disease. In these patients, but also in an advanced stage, differential diagnosis between these two disorders is possible by means of endoscopic techniques and guided biopsy. In a high percentage of patients with ulcerative colitis good results are obtained with conservative therapy, using salazopyridine alone or in combination with cortisone. Combination therapy with salazopyridine and cortisone seems to offer the best results in Crohn's disease too, however, in a certain percentage of cases surgical intervention is unavoidable.