["Therapy of Crohn disease" guideline. German Society of Digestive and Metabolic Diseases].

During a consensus conference of the German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases, seven working groups gathered in Halle (Saale) covering the topic "Therapy of Crohn's Disease". The goal of this conference was to establish standard recommendations for the conservative, dietary, surgical and psychosomatic treatment of intestinal and extraintestinal manifestations. These recommendations are based on the personal experience of the experts involved as well as the literature. In preparation of the conference, questionnaires were developed which were answered by all nearly 100 physicians specializing in internal medicine and gastroenterology. These were analysed by the chairmen of the working groups which wrote a consensus proposal in Halle. This was discussed, modified and passed by the plenary session and subsequently published in the Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie (German J Gastroenterology) with a comment and the relevant literature. The guideline became a standard in German gastroenterology. Unfortunately, only half of the recommendations are supported by controlled trials and other representatives of the health care system were not involved. Currently an update of this guideline is prepared via internet (www.prous.com/ts).