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Lillian,
Sorry, but I went back to the web site I have used for so long, and it seems not to be working right now, however there are others. When looking I was able to copy this fron one, and paste, this maybe will give up a better idea than my discription.... xo Dean
Crohn's disease
is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the general name for diseases that cause
inflammation in the intestines. Crohn's disease may also be called ileitis or
regional enteritis.
As you may already know, Crohn's disease may be mild,
moderate, or severe.1 You'll be happy to know that most patients are
able to lead full and productive lives when treated properly.
If your
Crohn's disease was difficult to diagnose, it was probably because its symptoms
are similar to other intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS), and to another type of IBD called ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis
causes inflammation and ulcers in the inner layer of the lining of the large
intestine, whereas Crohn's disease may cause inflammation in any part of the
digestive tract. Most commonly, however, Crohn's disease involves the small and
large intestines.
Crohn's disease seems to run in some families. About
20% of people with Crohn's disease have parents or siblings with some form of
IBD.
If you have Crohn's disease, you've got a lot of company: over
400,000 Americans have Crohn's disease, accounting for about 76,000
hospitalizations a year.2 In 1990, the cost of this disease was about
$1.2 billion.3 The cost of lost work days for Crohn's disease
patients has been estimated at almost a half-billion dollars a year.3
As you can see, Crohn's disease is an important condition, and medical
researchers are actively working toward better ways to control it.
To
view definitions relevant to Crohn's disease, scroll down below.
| Perforation and bleeding | |
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Inflammation may lead to ulcerations of the lining of the intestines, which can lead to bleeding. Deeper ulceration through the entire wall of the intestine may lead to perforation of the bowel. | |
| Obstruction | |
|
Inflammation causes the intestinal wall to become thick and inflexible, often leading to strictures (narrowings in the bowel). This may in turn lead to blockage and obstruction in the intestine. | |
| Fistula | |
|
Abnormal channels called fistulas may form between the bowel and the bladder, skin, female reproductive organs, other gastrointestinal sites, or abdominal organs. | |
| Stricture | |
|
Inflammation causes the intestinal wall to become thick and inflexible, often leading to strictures (narrowings in the bowel). This may in turn lead to blockage and obstruction in the intestine. | |
| Cobblestone ulcers | |
|
In early Crohn's disease, tiny inflamed ulcers form on the inner intestinal wall. Over time, they may fuse and the intestinal wall takes on a "cobblestone" appearance. | |
| Skip areas | |
|
Affected areas are often separated by healthy segments called skip areas. | |
References
1. Hanauer SB, Meyers S. Management of
Crohn's disease in adults. Am J Gastroenterol. 1997;92(4):559-566.
2.
National Centers for Health Statistics, 1995. Data on file at Centocor.
3.
Hay JW, Hay AR. Inflammatory bowel disease: costs-of-illness. J Clin
Gastroenterol. 1992;14:309-317.
General: National Digestive Diseases
Information Clearinghouse. Crohn's Disease. NIH Publication No. 99-4225,
December 1998. E-text updated 12 January 1999.
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