Crohn's disease refers to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also called chronic intestinal ulcerative colitis, because mainly inflammation occurs in the intestine.
The nature of the disease is complex, and doctors are not fully aware of the processes that cause Crohn's disease. It is associated with autoimmune processes, which are currently being actively studied in medicine.
For the first time the disease was described by the American gastroenterologist Bernard Krohn in 1932, which caused chronic intestinal ulcer colitis and was given a second name.
Pathogenesis of Crohn's disease
Today, physicians identify three factors that significantly increase the chance of developing the disease:
- genetic;
- infectious;
- immunological.
So, in the first place among the causes that cause Crohn's disease is the genetic factor. Scientists estimated that in 17% of patients, relatives had a similar disease, and this means that the chance of developing Crohn's disease increases due to heredity. Also, science knows that if one of the brothers has found this pathology, it means that it will arise in the second.
The role of the infectious factor is not confirmed today, but this does not prohibit the assumption that a viral or bacterial infection promotes the development of Crohn's disease (in particular, pseudotuberculosis bacteria).
The fact that organs with Crohn's disease are systemically affected pushes scientists to the idea that this pathology is caused by autoimmune processes. The patients examined had an increased T-lymphocyte count, as well as antibodies to E. coli. It is possible that this is not the cause of the disease, but the result of the struggle of the organism with the disease.
Symptoms of Crohn's Disease in Adults
Symptoms of Crohn's disease depend on the localization of the disease and the duration of the disease. The fact is that this disease can affect the entire digestive tract, starting from the oral cavity and ending with the intestine. Considering the fact that the intestine is often affected, the symptoms can be divided into general and intestinal.
The general symptoms of Crohn's disease include:
- weakness;
- fatigue;
- temperature increase.
Intestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease:
- diarrhea;
- pain, provoking appendicitis;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- anorexia;
- weight loss;
- bloating of the intestine.
Also Crohn's disease can affect other organs and systems:
- eye symptoms - conjunctivitis, uveitis, keratitis;
- articular symptoms - ankylosing spondylitis, monoarthritis;
- oral symptoms - stomatitis;
- skin symptoms - angiitis, erythema;
- hepatic symptoms - liver dystrophy, cirrhosis;
- renal symptoms - cystitis , pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis, nephrolithiasis, amyloidosis of the kidneys.
Crohn's disease is accompanied by the following complications:
- the appearance of internal fistulas, perforation of the ulcer , peritonitis;
- inflammations leading to tissue scarring can lead to a narrowing of the lumen and cause intestinal obstruction;
- because of ulcers, internal bleeding may be revealed;
- because of fistulas, internal organs can be infected with infection - the bladder, the uterus.
These complications are surgical in nature and are eliminated by the appropriate method.
How long does the exacerbation of Crohn's disease last?
Depending on the individual picture of the disease, the presence of complications and the ability of the body to suppress inflammation, Crohn's disease can last from
Prognosis for Crohn's disease
Despite the fact that in most cases the life expectancy is common in patients with Crohn's disease, nevertheless, the death rate of this category of people exceeds the rate by 2 times in comparison with the usual population.
Diagnosis of Crohn's disease
Several methods are used to diagnose Crohn's disease:
- endoscopy;
- blood test;
- X-ray;
- Ultrasound;
- CT scan.