← Issue №10/ week of Sep 6, 2026/IBD

Radiological primary sclerosing cholangitis in incident inflammatory bowel disease- a prospective Copenhagen IBD Inception Cohort study.

From GI Signals issue №10: what this paper found, what it changes, and where it sits against the current standard of care, reviewed by Simon Mathews, MD.

IBD prospective cohort · n=389 · Sep 2, 2026 · Clin Gastro Hep · IF 16.2

Radiological primary sclerosing cholangitis in incident inflammatory bowel disease- a prospective Copenhagen IBD Inception Cohort study.

New evidencePSCulcerative colitisCrohn's diseaseepidemiology
Clinical takeawayNo clinical action yet: long-term outcomes and cost-effectiveness of MRCP screening remain uncertain, and further evidence is needed before recommending routine screening.
What it foundRadiological PSC or PSC-like lesions were present in 9.8% of newly-diagnosed IBD patients (UC: 6.6%, CD: 10.2%), with 51.6% lacking abnormal liver biochemistry.
ContextChallenges prior assumptions by showing higher PSC prevalence at IBD onset than previously recognized, often without biochemical abnormalities.
Emergingsuggested applicable standard· ACG Clinical Guideline Update: Ulcerative Colitis in Adults, Am J Gastroenterol 2025;120(6):1187-1224; AGA Living Guideline on Pharmacological Management of Moderate-to-Severe UC, Gastroenterology 2024 (panel review March 2026, no changes)

Decision at stakewhether to screen for primary sclerosing cholangitis at ulcerative colitis diagnosis

No single passage of this standard matched the paper closely enough to quote, so none is shown. The standard is cited above.

Our full summary of this standard

Confirm ulcerative colitis with endoscopy showing continuous colonic inflammation from the rectum plus histology, after excluding infection with two-step CDI testing. Treat mild-moderate disease with 5-ASA by route and extent (suppository for proctitis, enema for left-sided, oral plus rectal for extensive); if 5-ASA fails, treat as moderate-to-severe rather than stepping up gradually. Position advanced therapy by EFFICACY TIER, not by an anti-TNF-first rule. Advanced-therapy-naive, higher efficacy: infliximab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod, upadacitinib, risankizumab, guselkumab; intermediate: golimumab, ustekinumab, tofacitinib, filgotinib, mirikizumab; lower: adalimumab. PREVIOUSLY TNF-EXPOSED, higher efficacy: tofacitinib, upadacitinib, ustekinumab; lower: adalimumab, vedolizumab, ozanimod, etrasimod - S1P modulators are weakest in exactly this group. Do not cycle within the anti-TNF class after primary non-response; switch mechanism. Apply treat-to-target (STRIDE-II) to endoscopic improvement (MES 0-1). Screen for acute severe UC by Truelove-Witts and admit for IV steroids. Begin CRC surveillance 8-10 years after DIAGNOSIS for extensive or left-sided disease; isolated proctitis follows average-risk screening.

ACG Clinical Guideline Update: Ulcerative Colitis in Adults, Am J Gastroenterol 2025;120(6):1187-1224; AGA Living Guideline on Pharmacological Management of Moderate-to-Severe UC, Gastroenterology 2024 (panel review March 2026, no changes) ↗
Attauabi M … Burisch J · Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology : the Official Clinical Practice Journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · IF 16.2 · PubMed ↗Permalink
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