Crohn's disease

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Digestive system

Crohn's disease, X-ray

Clubbing

Inflammatory bowel disease

Anorectal fistulas

Crohn's disease - affected areas

Ulcerative colitis

Digestive system organs

Crohn's disease

Alternative Names:

Inflammatory bowel disease - Crohn's disease; Regional enteritis; Ileitis; Granulomatous ileocolitis
Treatment:

Your health care provider may prescribe medications such as 5-aminosalicylate to control the inflammatory process. If this is not effective or if the case is severe, treatment may require corticosteroids and immunomodulators such as azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine.

text continues below

If you have abscesses or fistulas, your health care provider may prescribe antibiotics. Infliximab (an antibody to an immune chemical called TNF-alpha, which promotes inflammation) can be effective for patients with fistulous disease and those with moderate to severe disease.

If medical therapy is not effective, you may need surgery (see bowel resection) to remove a diseased or strictured segment of the bowel or to drain an abscess. However, unlike ulcerative colitis, surgical removal of a diseased portion of the intestine does not cure the condition.

No specific diet has been shown to improve or worsen the bowel inflammation in Crohn's disease. An adequate intake of calories, vitamins, and protein is important.

Foods that worsen diarrhea should be avoided -- specific food problems may vary from person to person. People who have blockage of the intestines may need to avoid raw fruits and vegetables. Some people have difficulty digesting lactose (milk sugar) and need to avoid milk products.

Expectations (prognosis):

This is a chronic disease characterized by periods of improvement followed by deterioration and increased symptoms. There is an increased risk of small bowel or colorectal carcinoma associated with this condition.

Complications: