Crohn’s disease affects between 500,000 and 2,000,000 individuals in the United States. It can occur anywhere in the digestive tract and may recur over the course of a lifetime. It is a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, most commonly affecting the last part of the small intestine and/or large intestine (colon). Crohn’s disease also may be called ileitis or enteritis.  Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease can be difficult because its symptoms are similar to those of other intestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

Symptoms of Crohn’s disease may include cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, weight loss, bloating, anal pain or drainage, skin lesions, rectal abscess, fissure, and joint pain. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia. Children with Crohn's disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth. Nutritional deficiencies also may occur, caused by inadequate dietary intake, intestinal loss of protein, or poor absorption (malabsorption).

Crohn's disease also may cause sores, or ulcers, that tunnel through the affected area into surrounding tissues, such as the bladder, vagina, or skin. The areas around the anus and rectum often are involved. The tunnels, called fistulas, are a common complication and often become infected. Sometimes fistulas can be treated with medicine, but in some cases they may require surgery.

The exact cause of Crohn’s disease is not known. It is not contagious, but does have a slight genetic tendency. About 20% of people with Crohn's disease have a relative, most often a brother or sister, and sometimes a parent or child, with some form of inflammatory bowel disease.

Crohn’s disease is marked by an abnormal response by the body's immune system. The immune system reacts inappropriately, mistaking food, bacteria, and other materials in the intestine as foreign or invading substances. In the process, the body sends white blood cells into the lining of the intestines, where they produce chronic inflammation. These cells then generate harmful products that ultimately lead to ulcerations and bowel injury.

Crohn’s disease can be difficult to detect because symptoms may resemble those of irritable bowel disease or ulcerative colitis. Find out how diagnosis of Crohn’s disease is typically made using flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. 

Look into the treatment options for Crohn’s disease, so you can discuss them more thoroughly with your physician.

Download, print out, and read a brochure on Crohn’s disease to help you and those you love understand your diagnosis and options for therapy.