Between the 1950s and 1980s, Europe and North America saw an increase in the incidence of Crohn's disease in adults. The incidence of paediatric Crohn's disease has grown and we are now entering a new era, in which inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is emerging in the Asia-Pacific nations.

This book presents the first major text where "East meets West" in IBD. The issues in the regions where IBD is a relatively common disease include the role of genetic and environmental factors in pathogenesis and disease expression, the application of diagnostic tools, and the use of biological agents in therapy. In contrast, key issues in the nations where IBD is at present relatively rare include characterising the nature and behaviour of IBD in those populations, developing ways of differentiating IBD from infective bowel conditions, eg. tuberculosis, how to apply standard treatment regimens, and the role of traditional therapies, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, in the management of IBD.