Crohn dise

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Crohn disease Summary Crohn disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) of unclear etiology. Unlike ulcerative colitis, CD is not limited to the colon but can manifest anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical features commonly include diarrhea, weight loss, and abdominal pain but differ according to disease severity. Extraintestinal manifestations may occur in the eyes, joints, and skin. Diagnosis is based primarily on characteristic endoscopic features (ulcerations, skip lesions, cobblestone appearance) and evidence of intestinal inflammation on imaging. Medical management aims to induce and maintain remission; it is tailored to the patient and influenced by the location and severity of CD. Acute flares are typically managed with corticosteroids but steroid-sparing regimes (e.g., thiopurine analogs, biologics) may also be used. Maintenance therapy (e.g., immunomodulators, biologics) focuses on limiting the frequency and duration of inflammatory episodes. Though surgery is ultimately required in up to half of patients with CD, surgical resection is generally not curative. Complications of CD include malabsorption, iron and vitamin deficiency, strictures, bowel obstr...