Review
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 21, 2010; 16(3): 299-305
Published online Jan 21, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i3.299
Pulmonary involvement and allergic disorders in inflammatory bowel disease
Nikolaos E Tzanakis, Ioanna G Tsiligianni, Nikolaos M Siafakas
Nikolaos E Tzanakis, Department of Social Medicine & Thoracic Medicine, Medical School University of Crete, Crete 71110, Greece
Ioanna G Tsiligianni, General Practitioner, Agia Barvara Health Care Center, Heraklion, Crete 70003, Greece
Nikolaos M Siafakas, Department of Thoracic Medicine, Medical School University of Crete, Crete 71110, Greece
Author contributions: Tzanakis NE designed the study; Tzanakis NE and Tsiligianni IG performed the search strategy for identification of studies and wrote the article; Siafakas NM reviewed the article and gave relevant suggestions.
Correspondence to: Ioanna G Tsiligianni, MD, PhD, MPH, General Practitioner, Agia Barbara Health Care Centre, Heraklion, Crete 70003, Greece. pdkapa@yahoo.gr
Telephone: +30-2810-392855 Fax: +30-2810-542650
Received: September 3, 2009
Revised: December 3, 2009
Accepted: December 10, 2009
Published online: January 21, 2010
Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been associated with either clinical or subclinical airway and parenchymal lung involvement and interstitial lung complications. Several studies have reported that atopy has a high prevalence in IBD patients. Overlapping allergic disorders seem to be present in both the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. The purpose of this review is to update clinicians on recent available literature and to discuss the need for a highly suspicious approach by clinicians.

Keywords: Atopy, Inflammatory bowel disease, Pulmonary involvement