Crohn’s Disease is a disease that can affect any part of the digestive tract, although its most frequent location is in the intestine. It is included in the group of chronic inflammatory diseases of the intestine, together with ulcerative colitis and undetermined colitis.
The causes of this disease are unknown, but the following are considered to be risk factors: tobacco, infections, dietary components, etc. In genetically predisposed individuals these factors may trigger an exaggerated immune response that may lead to the appearance of this pathology.
The disease is characterized by outbreaks of inflammatory activity interspersed with variable periods of remission.
The most frequent symptoms are abdominal pain and diarrhoea, although rectal bleeding can also present itself, as well as weight loss with nutritional deficit, fever, and joint pain.
The diagnosis is established through a combination of clinical information of the patient, and endoscopic, radiological, and histological procedures.
The treatment of each patient is individualized and will depend on the location, seriousness, evolutionary pattern, the prior response to the treatment, and the presence of complications.
When faced with a diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease, it is important that the patient see specialists knowledgeable in the disease and specialized in digestive pathology for the correct management of the disease.
ServiDigest Medical/Surgical Centre has a unit that specializes in the study and treatment of this pathology.