health

Crohn disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the digestive system
that is thought to be caused by an abnormal response of the body’s
immune system to bacteria in the digestive tract. A gene was identified
in 2006 that may also be linked to the disease. Crohn disease is marked
by breaks in the lining of the digestive tract, commonly in the small
intestine, that cause cramps, nausea, persistent diarrhea, fever, and rectal
bleeding. The symptoms vary in severity from patient to patient; some
people may have only occasional episodes of diarrhea, for example, while
others may have twenty to thirty bowel movements in a single day that

interfere with sleep, work, school, or other activities. In addition,
it is not unusual for patients with Crohn disease to have sections
of normal healthy bowel alternating with sections of diseased
bowel tissue.
In one type of Crohn disease, sometimes called penetrating Crohn disease,
the underlying layers of intestinal tissue are damaged also,
leading to perforation (puncturing) of the intestinal wall.
This may cause a serious infection in the abdomen or the formation of fistulas,
abnormal passageways leading from one loop of the intestine to
another or from the abdomen to the outside of the body. These fistulas,
present in about 30 percent of patients, are most likely to form in the
area around the anus, leading to the formation of abscesses
Another subtype of Crohn disease is called stricturing disease. Stricture
is the medical term for an abnormal narrowing of a hollow organ
such as the bowel. The inflammation and swelling of tissue inside the
bowel leads to changes in the size of the patient’s stools and eventual
blockage of the intestinal passages. Severe abdominal cramping is often
an indication of stricturing disease, as are nausea and vomiting.
In addition to intestinal problems, Crohn disease can produce
long-term complications including skin ulcers, mouth ulcers similar
to canker sores, eye disorders, inflammation of the liver, and joint pains
or arthritis.