CROHN’S DISEASE Alison Cunliffe

What is Crohn’s Disease?  Chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines  Causes ulcerations, breaks in the lining, of the small and large intestines, but can affect the digestive system anywhere form the mouth to the anus.  Immune system abnormally activated in the absence of any known invader

Caused by…  The cause is unknown  Some scientists suspect that infection from certain bacteria may cause the disease  No convincing evidence that the disease is caused by infection

Symptoms  Abdominal pain  Diarrhea  Weight loss  Less common Poor appetite Fever Night sweats Rectal pain Rectal bleeding  The symptoms all depend of the location, extent and severity of the inflammation.

Complications  Intestinal  Obstruction and perforation of small intestine (rare and requires surgery)  Abscesses  Intestinal bleeding  Also involves the skin, joints, spine, eyes, liver, and bile ducts.

Treatment  Patients with mild or no symptoms may not need treatment  Also, patients in remission may not need treatment  No medication can cure Crohn’s disease  Doctors prescribe medication to  1) induce remission  2) maintain remission  3) minimize side effects of treatment  4)improve quality of life  Medication  Anti inflammatory agents antibiotics

Tests  Blood test  Barium x-ray  Colonoscopy  Computerized axial tomography  Endoscopy

Prognosis  Chronic  No prevention  Genetic in origin