Future directions in imaging pouches.

The sections of this special issue on the ileal pouch demonstrate that in the nearly 45 years since the ileal pouch has been utilized to treat patients with colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis, a substantial number of patients experience both short- and long-term morbidity and that imaging plays an important role in their management. Further, referral centers are encountering an increasing number of patients with pouch and peri-pouch complications and dysfunction. Many of these patients have had their pouches for years, and many have experienced a reduced quality of life as a result of their symptoms.As we look to the future, what are the specific questions that arise from this compilation of experience from institutions that see large numbers of patients with an ileal pouch? In what areas are we deficient? In what areas are we using the wrong methods? What should we be doing differently?