Crohn's disease, a chronic
infl
ammatory disease of the intestine involving only the end of the
small intestine (the
terminal ileum). Crohn's disease affects primarily the small and
large intestines but
which can occur anywhere in the digestive system between the mouth
and the anus. Named
after Burrill Crohn who described the disease in 1932. The disease
often strikes persons
in their teens or early twenties. It tends to be chronic, recurrent
with periods of
remission and exacerbation. In the early stages, it causes small
scattered shallow
crater-like areas (erosions) called aphthous ulcers in the inner
surface of the bowel. With
time, deeper and larger ulcers develop, causing scarring and
stiffness of the bowel and
the bowel becomes increasingly narrowed, leading to obstruction. Deep
ulcers can puncture
holes in the bowel wall, leading to infection in the abdominal cavity
(peritonitis) and in
adjacent organs Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weight
loss can be
symptoms. Crohn's disease can be associated with reddish tender
skin nodules, and
inflammation of the joints, spine, eyes, and liver.
Diagnosis is by barium enema, barium
x-ray of the small bowel, and colonoscopy. Treatment includes
medications for
inflammation, immune suppression, antibiotics, or surgery.
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