Crohn's disease
Evidence: T Cell
Names
Crohn’s disease
Crohn's (granulomatous) colitis
Gastroduodenal Crohn's disease
Jejunoileitis (subtype)
Illeitis
Ileocolitis
Description
Crohn’s Disease (CD) causes inflammation of the digestive tract that may lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, and malnutrition. When that inflammation is only in the large intestine (including the colon) the disease is called ulcerative colitis (UC).
Both UC and CD are caused by an autoimmune response that reflects the involvement of the innate and adaptive immune systems. The disease mechanism is complex, but appears to start when a normal immune response to a bacterial infection does not stop properly after the infection is fought off. The resulting inflammation leads to the symptoms of both UC and CD.
Patient Groups
Bloggers
Prevalence
US Cases: 1,900,000 - 2,400,000 [Dahlhamer 2016] (using 55% as the ratio of Crohn’s to total IBD patients)
Typical Age of onset
15-35
Symptoms
Diarrhea
Fever
Fatigue
Abdominal pain and cramping
Blood in your stool
Mouth sores
Reduced appetite and weight loss
Other signs and symptoms people with severe Crohn's disease may also experience:
Inflammation of skin, eyes and joints
Inflammation of the liver or bile ducts
Delayed growth or sexual development, in children
Source: Mayo Clinic
References
Updated January 2023
