EN
Diagnosing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a difficult problem to a clinician. This results from its insufficiently explained aetiology, lack of specific changes in the clinical and laboratory picture and, above all, from various ways of interpreting the intensity of the disease process. This article summarizes research from recent years aimed at establishing clinical and histopathological standards which are necessary for diagnosing the intensity of this disease unit. Laboratory indices, especially those evaluating the intensity of the inflammatory process or the patient’s immune status are in the process of identification, still at the stage of experimental research. Setting standards is essential for comparative studies of different research centres dealing with problems of non-specific enteritis.