There is no cure for Crohn's disease. The condition is marked by periods of improvement followed by flare-ups of symptoms.

It is very important to stay on medications long-term to try to keep the disease symptoms from returning. If you stop or change your medications for any reason, let your doctor know right away.

You have a higher risk for small bowel and colon cancer if you have Crohn's disease.

• Abscess
• Bowel obstructions
• Complications of corticosteroid therapy, such as thinning of the bones
• Erythema nodosum
• Fistulas in the following areas:
  • Bladder
  • Skin
  • Vagina
• Impaired growth and sexual development in children
• Inflammation of the joints
• Lesions in the eye
• Nutritional deficiency (particularly vitamin B12 deficiency)
• Pyoderma gangrenosum

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if:

• You have very bad abdominal pain
• You cannot control your diarrhea with diet changes and drugs
• You have lost weight, or a child is not gaining weight
• You have rectal bleeding, drainage, or sores
• You have a fever that lasts for more than 2 or 3 days, or a fever higher than 100.4°F without an illness
• You have nausea and vomiting that lasts for more than a day
• You have skin sores or lesions that do not heal
• You have joint pain that prevents you from doing your everyday activities
• You have side effects from any drugs prescribed for your condition

Images

Crohn's disease, x-ray

Clubbing

Digestive system organs

Inflammatory bowel disease

Crohn's disease - affected areas

Anorectal fistulas

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Review Date: 12/13/2010
Reviewed By: George F Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)