Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder, characterized by a wide spectrum of disease phenotypes that typically alternates periods of active inflammation and remission. Its etiology is unknown and characterized by leukocyte infiltration of the bowel wall which results in intestinal ulceration, causing diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, and weight loss, among many other symptoms. CD pathophysiology is very complex, requiring a genetic predisposition, the influence of certain environmental factors, and a dysregulated immune system, as effector elements. There are no pathognomonic signs or symptoms of CD; therefore, its diagnosis has to be based on a convincing combination of symptoms, biochemical abnormalities, mucosal endoscopic findings, histological examination of mucosal biopsies, and imaging findings. It also requires ruling out other entities, such as infectious colitis, celiac disease, or drug-induced enterocolitis. Treatment of CD included the use of steroids, immunosuppressants, and biological drugs (with different mechanisms of action). However, medical therapy is far from satisfactory, and a significant proportion of patients still require surgical treatment especially when there are complications like abdominal stenosis or fistula.