Published online Jun 28, 2017. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i24.4324
Peer-review started: February 8, 2017
First decision: March 7, 2017
Revised: March 19, 2017
Accepted: May 9, 2017
Article in press: May 9, 2017
Published online: June 28, 2017
Processing time: 148 Days and 18.2 Hours
Core tip: New concepts have emerged in the management of inflammatory bowel disease, such as the “treat-to-target” concept in which mucosal healing plays a key role in the evolution, risk of recurrence and need for surgery. Endoscopy is essential for the assessment of mucosal inflammation and plays a pivotal role in the analysis of mucosal healing in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and in the detection of dysplasia and assessment of the risk of colon cancer. The current surveillance strategy for dysplasia in IBD patients indicates white-light endoscopy with non-targeted biopsies. Despite the screening program, the high rate of colorectal cancer among IBD patients illustrates the need for better and more efficient techniques for dysplasia recognition. Classical chromoendoscopy and new digital techniques have provided promising results. In addition to the endoscopy techniques, stool and blood biomarkers are beneficial for the assessment of disease progress and disease monitoring. When used wisely and combined with the endoscopic methods, these techniques are promising in terms of the selection of patients for the early detection of dysplastic lesions and the prevention of inflammatory relapse.