Crohn's disease:Achronicinflammatorydisease, primarily involving the small andlarge intestine, but which canaffectother parts of the digestive system as well. It is named for Burrill Crohn, the Americangastroenterologistwho first described the diseasein1932.
Crohn disease is usually diagnosed in persons in their teens or twenties, but can come to the fore at any point in life. It can be a chronic,recurrentconditionor can cause minimal symptoms with or even without medical treatment.
In mild forms, Crohn disease causes small scattered shallow crater- like areas (erosions) called aphthous ulcers in the inner surface of thebowel. In more serious cases, deeper and larger ulcers can develop, causing scarring and stiffness and possibly narrowing of the bowel, sometimes leading toobstruction.Deep溃疡可以穿刺holes in the bowel wall, leading toinfectionin theabdominalcavity (peritonitis) and inadjacentorgans.
Crohn disease comes in many forms. Involvement of the largeintestine(colon) only is called Crohn colitis or granulomatous colitis, while involvement of thesmall intestinealone is called Crohn enteritis. The most common part of the small intestine to be affected by Crohn disease is the last portion, called theileum. Active disease in this area is termed Crohn ileitis. When both the small intestine and the large intestine are involved, the condition is calledCrohn enterocolitis(or ileocolitis). Other descriptive terms may be used as well.
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss are common symptoms. Crohn disease can be associated with reddish tenderskinnodules, andinflammationof the joints,spine, eyes, and liver.Diagnosisis commonly made byx-rayor colonoscopy. Treatment includes medications that areanti-inflammatories,immunesuppressors or antibiotics.Surgerycan be necessary in severe cases.
Geneticfactors contribute to the causation of Crohn disease. One of thegeneshas been shown to be onchromosome14 in region 14q11-12.
