Crohn's disease
Overview
Pathological process develops mainly in the intestine, but may be affected all departments of the digestive tract, including the esophagus and oral cavity. The non-immune inflammation extends to the entire thickness of the intestinal wall and shows leukocyte infiltration. The infiltration of the mucosa in the area of ??formation of deep ulcers, abscesses and fistulas develop with subsequent scarring and narrowing of the intestinal lumen.
Causes
Reasons for triggering the development of pathologic process described above is still not known. It is believed that in Crohn's disease antibody produced in the body tissues to bowel. In isolated heredity and smoking as contributing factors.
symptoms
Intestinal manifestations are abdominal cramping, diarrhea, flatulence, inflammation and cracks in the anus. The patient loses weight, he shows signs of vitamin deficiencies, metabolic disorders of varying severity. By extraintestinal features also include fever, anemia, aphthous stomatitis, arthritis, eye disease (iritis, uveitis, episcleritis).
complications
Crohn's disease is dangerous not only its manifestations, but severe complications: intestinal obstruction, perforation of the bowel wall with peritonitis, massive bleeding, internal and external fistulas, stricture, ulcer, inflammatory infiltrates. All of these complications are treated only by surgery.
What you can do
How to diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease should be performed by a gastroenterologist or a specialist coloproctology familiar with this disease. Treatment of severe exacerbations carried out only in a hospital. Treatment of mild forms of the disease should be carried out also under the supervision of a specialist. So if you suspect in themselves or their loved ones Crohn's disease, you should consult a doctor immediately.
What can a doctor
To diagnose the disease and determine the tactics of therapy is required: abdominal ultrasound; scatological study; barium enema - serial radiography of the small intestine. Endoscopic investigation (colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy) are most useful in the diagnosis of Crohn's disease with lesions of the colon, often performed intestinal biopsy site. The resulting material is sent for histological examination, the results of which an accurate diagnosis can be set.
In the absence of complications requiring surgical treatment, medication and diet therapy is conducted. The main groups of drugs for the treatment of Crohn's disease are corticosteroids and drugs 5-amino salicylic acid. Usually assigned a combination of these drugs. In the case of infection connection used antibiotics.
Pathological process develops mainly in the intestine, but may be affected all departments of the digestive tract, including the esophagus and oral cavity. The non-immune inflammation extends to the entire thickness of the intestinal wall and shows leukocyte infiltration. The infiltration of the mucosa in the area of ??formation of deep ulcers, abscesses and fistulas develop with subsequent scarring and narrowing of the intestinal lumen.
Causes
Reasons for triggering the development of pathologic process described above is still not known. It is believed that in Crohn's disease antibody produced in the body tissues to bowel. In isolated heredity and smoking as contributing factors.
symptoms
Intestinal manifestations are abdominal cramping, diarrhea, flatulence, inflammation and cracks in the anus. The patient loses weight, he shows signs of vitamin deficiencies, metabolic disorders of varying severity. By extraintestinal features also include fever, anemia, aphthous stomatitis, arthritis, eye disease (iritis, uveitis, episcleritis).
complications
Crohn's disease is dangerous not only its manifestations, but severe complications: intestinal obstruction, perforation of the bowel wall with peritonitis, massive bleeding, internal and external fistulas, stricture, ulcer, inflammatory infiltrates. All of these complications are treated only by surgery.
What you can do
How to diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease should be performed by a gastroenterologist or a specialist coloproctology familiar with this disease. Treatment of severe exacerbations carried out only in a hospital. Treatment of mild forms of the disease should be carried out also under the supervision of a specialist. So if you suspect in themselves or their loved ones Crohn's disease, you should consult a doctor immediately.
What can a doctor
To diagnose the disease and determine the tactics of therapy is required: abdominal ultrasound; scatological study; barium enema - serial radiography of the small intestine. Endoscopic investigation (colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy) are most useful in the diagnosis of Crohn's disease with lesions of the colon, often performed intestinal biopsy site. The resulting material is sent for histological examination, the results of which an accurate diagnosis can be set.
In the absence of complications requiring surgical treatment, medication and diet therapy is conducted. The main groups of drugs for the treatment of Crohn's disease are corticosteroids and drugs 5-amino salicylic acid. Usually assigned a combination of these drugs. In the case of infection connection used antibiotics.