Crohn's disease (CD) is one of two distinct diseases known as inflammatory bowel disease (the other is ulcerative colitis). CD is a chronic inflammatory process that causes damage to the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. Women are affected 20% more often than men and the disease has a familial component. CD typically appears between the ages of 15 and 40 years. Also called ileitis or enteritis, the exact cause of CD is unknown, but some consideration has been given to the possibility of a viral, bacterial or immunological etiology.
Disease severity and the areas affected influence therapy selection. The goals of medical treatment are to minimize symptoms and complications, induce and maintain remission, improve nutrition and avoid surgical intervention. Some people have long periods of remission, sometimes years, when they are free of symptoms. However, the disease usually recurs at various times over a person's lifetime.
Most people are first treated with drugs that helps control inflammation. Other treatment modalities include lifestyle interventions as well as surgery.
The Medifocus Guide on Crohn's Disease provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:
What are the most common symptoms of Crohn's Disease?
Are there any recognized risk factors for developing Crohn's Disease?
What kinds of medical tests are used to establish the diagnosis of Crohn's Disease?
What is the current standard of care for the treatment of Crohn's Disease?
What treatment options are available for the management of Crohn's Disease?
Are there any promising new developments or potential breakthroughs in treatment?
Who are the most notable medical authorities who specialize in Crohn's Disease?
Where are the leading hospitals and centers of research for Crohn's Disease?
What are the most important questions to ask my doctor about Crohn's Disease?
What Your Doctor Reads:
This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:
Therapy of Crohn's disease in childhood. Paediatric Drugs. 2000
Chronic inflammatory bowel disease in children: a complex problem in management. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 2000
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in inflammatory bowel disease: clinical role and review of the literature. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. 2000
Anti-TNF therapies in rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, sepsis, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Microscopy Research & Technique. 2000
Early bacille de Calmette-Guerin vaccination and Crohn's disease: possible relationship?. Pediatric & Developmental Pathology. 2000
Is Crohn's disease an immunodeficiency? A hypothesis suggesting possible early events in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Digestive Diseases & Sciences. 2000
Medical therapy to reduce postoperative Crohn's disease recurrence. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2000
Prolonged-release mesalazine: a review of its therapeutic potential in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Drugs. 2000
Azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine for inducing remission of Crohn's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [computer file]. 2000
Corticosteroids for maintaining remission of Crohn's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews [computer file]. 2000
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