remission

[Sophabulous]

Hi all

Random question. How is remission actually identified? Is it when there is no active disease observed on tests, by the disappearance of symptoms or both at once?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Clash]

There's actually different types of remission.

Clinical remission (normalization of lab work lack of symptoms) There can still be active disease present it just isn't showing in blood work and symptoms have backed off. This used to be the standard to which GIs treated. This left simmering inflammation still doing damage.

Endoscopic remission (visually no active disease seen)but there's the possibility that inflammation is present at the cellular level.

Histological remission (no inflammation at the cellular level)

Most GIs like to achieve deep stable remission (all 3) with full mucosal healing. Mucosal healing meaning that your mucosa is healed. Studies have shown deep, stable remission with full mucosal healing leads to longer periods of full remission.

 

[Sophabulous]

There's actually different types of remission.



Clinical remission (normalization of lab work lack of symptoms) There can still be active disease present it just isn't showing in blood work and symptoms have backed off. This used to be the standard to which GIs treated. This left simmering inflammation still doing damage.



Endoscopic remission (visually no active disease seen)but there's the possibility that inflammation is present at the cellular level.



Histological remission (no inflammation at the cellular level)



Most GIs like to achieve deep stable remission (all 3) with full mucosal healing. Mucosal healing meaning that your mucosa is healed. Studies have shown deep, stable remission with full mucosal healing leads to longer periods of full remission.

Ah very interesting! Thank you for clarifying. I'm still quite new to it all, so presumably we should have colonoscopies etc at fairly regular intervals even if we aren't experiencing full symptoms just to be 100% certain that things have settled?

 

[Clash]

I'm not sure what the recommendation for adults are or even the official recommendation for peds patients. My son's GI opted for yearly for my son in the beginning.

But since we've not been able to reach remission and he is asymptomatic with severe disease he's had scopes aboit ever 6-9 months for the last two years. Now, this is partially because blood work isn't indicative of disease activity for him and also he had surgery. Med changes have occurred due to the findings of each scope in that time.