Crohn’s Disease - An inflammatory disease of the intestines that may affect any part
of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus. The most common site for crohn’s
disease to start is the last part of the small intestine (the ileum). The ileum is
affected in about half of cases. Other parts of the small intestine and the colon
are also commonly affected.
The mouth, gullet and stomach are affected much less commonly.
A patch of inflammation may be small, or spread quite a distance along part of the
gut. Several patches of inflammation may develop along the gut, with normal sections
of gut in between. In about 3 in 10 cases, the inflammation occurs just in the small
intestine. In about 2 in 10 cases the inflammation occurs just in the colon and in
a number of cases, the inflammation can occur in different places in the gut.
Complications may occur such as:
Stricture - This is a narrowing of part of the gut. It is due to scar tissue that
may form in the wall of an inflamed part of the gut. A stricture can cause difficulty
in food passing through (a blockage). This leads to pain and vomiting.
Perforation - This is a small hole that forms in the wall of the gut. The contents
of the gut can then leak out and cause infection or an abscess inside the abdomen.
This can be serious and life-threatening.
Fistula -This is when the inflammation causes a channel to form between two parts
of the body. For example, a fistula may form between a part of the small intestine
with part of the colon. Fistulas can also form between part of the gut and other
organs such as the bladder or uterus (womb). The contents of the gut may then leak
into these other organs. A perianal fistula sometimes develops. This is a fistula
that goes from the anus or rectum and opens onto the skin near to the anus.
Cancer - those with Crohn's disease have a small increased risk of developing cancer
of the colon compared with the risk of the general population.
Osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) - The increased risk of this is related to the
poor absorption of food that occurs in some those with severe Crohn's disease.
The chronic gastrointestinal inflammation of Crohn's disease also results in a variety
of other symptoms, including bloody stools (melena).
Serious complications of Crohn's disease include:
Anaemia.
Bowel obstruction.
Gastrointestinal ulcers.
Fistulas.
The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown, but it is considered that it may be
due to an abnormal response of the immune system to an infection or to food and other
substances in the GI tract.
Crohn's disease may have a genetic component, and it can run in families.
Crohn's disease is not caused by eating certain foods, although some foods can irritate
the bowel and intensify symptoms in people who already have the disease.
