Crohn’s Disease

Overview
Diagnosis
Treatment

Crohn’s Disease

Crohn's disease is a severe, chronic inflammatory bowel disease. It causes inflammation, ulcers, and bleeding in the digestive tract.

It often affects the end portion of the small intestine, called the ileum. However, Crohn's disease can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus.

The cause of Crohn's disease is not known, but, like other inflammatory bowel diseases, it seems to run in some families.

Some research links Crohn’s disease to an overactive and inappropriate immune response to the bacteria that normally reside in the intestine, causing damage to the intestines.

Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Common symptoms of Crohn's disease include:

Diarrhea
Abdominal cramps and pain
Rectal bleeding
Anemia
Weight loss
Fatigue, weakness
Nausea
Fever
Mouth sores
Sores, abscesses in the anal area

Diagnosing Crohn’s Disease

To diagnose Crohn's disease, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam.

Tests may include:

Blood tests
Stool examination
Barium x-rays (upper gastrointestinal series, small bowel follow-through, or barium enemas) to identify inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract
Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to identify abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract or internal organs
Flexible sigmoidoscopy to examine the rectum and the lower colon
Colonoscopy to examine the lining of the colon and the small intestine
Upper endoscopy/enteroscopy to examine the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine
Biopsy to test a small (2-4 mm) sample of the gastrointestinal lining

Treating Crohn’s Disease

The following treatment options can help control or prevent the severity of Crohn’s disease symptoms.

Medicines for Treating Crohn’s Disease

Many types of medicines are available to treat Crohn's disease, such as:

Aminosalicylate medicines
Antibiotics/probiotics
Corticosteroids
Immunomodulators
TNF-inhibitors
Other biologic treatments

Dietary Changes

Your doctor may recommend that you avoid foods that provoke symptoms.

These foods are different for each person, but may include:

Dairy foods (due to lactose intolerance)
Highly seasoned foods
High-fiber foods

Surgery

Very severe Crohn's disease may not improve with medicines and can cause complications, such as:

A stricture
An obstruction
Fistulas, which are abnormal connections between the intestine and other organs or tissues, such as the bladder, vagina, or skin

In these cases, surgery may be an option. Your surgeon will remove the diseased section of your intestine and join the two remaining healthier ends together.

Leading-edge Therapy

Groundbreaking research from the UPMC Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center has found that treating people with medicine following bowel resection can keep Crohn’s disease from reoccurring.