[Role of nuclear imaging in the management and follow-up of patients with inflammatory bowel disease].

The modern approach to diagnostic imaging includes multimodal evaluation of patients. Physician knowledge of the clinical potential of each available imaging technique combined with efficient integration of functional and morphological data is mandatory in order to achieve a timely diagnosis and treatment, and to avoid unnecessary invasive examinations. Recent years have witnessed important advances in nuclear medicine techniques, including the development of a great variety of metabolic tracers that allow accurate detection, characterization and staging of diverse disease states other than neoplastic conditions. Nuclear medicine techniques play an important role in the diagnostic evaluation of different forms of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease, ulcerative rettocolitis, indeterminate colitis), and can provide optimal anatomo-functional information when used in association with multidetector CT and MRI, enabling tailored therapeutic interventions.