Crohn's Disease

This incurable, chronic inflammatory bowel disease manifests in symptoms that occur in flares, severely reducing the quality of life of those affected. However, early diagnosis and targeted therapy can effectively alleviate symptoms. Our experienced doctors are by your side in the fight against Crohn's disease at all our locations.

As with ulcerative colitis, several medical steps are required to confirm a diagnosis of Crohn's disease.

At the beginning of the diagnostic process, other potential conditions that cause symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea must first be excluded. These include infections, malignancies, and irritable bowel syndrome, among others. This is followed by medical history taking and physical examinations such as endoscopy, which should reveal typical signs of intestinal inflammation (such as mucosal swelling and bleeding). A biopsy is used to confirm the final diagnosis. In rare cases, an MRI scan supplements the diagnostic workup.

Definitive triggers for Crohn's disease are not yet known. However, the most common risk factors for its development include:

• Genetic predisposition (several genes are today associated with Crohn's disease)
• Smoking

The typical symptoms of Crohn's disease, which often occur in flares, include:

• Severe diarrhoea, in some cases alternating with periods of constipation (due to intestinal narrowing or obstruction)
• Bulging in the lower abdomen (due to intestinal adhesions)
• Redness, swelling, and pain in the anal area (due to fistulas)
• Difficulty absorbing important nutrients and vitamins
• Weight loss and growth disorders (in children)
• Anaemia
• Steatorrhoea (recognisable by yellowish discolouration of stools)
• Dry skin and hair loss
• Joint, eye, and gallbladder complaints
• Aphthous ulcers and pustules in the oral mucosa with swelling of the lips
• Very painful skin changes, sometimes visible as blisters, with raw and deep open lesions

Comprehensive treatment of Crohn's disease at avi begins with early diagnosis. The underlying medical measures include:

• Taking a medical history
• Abdominal ultrasound
• Exclusion of other conditions
• Blood and stool tests to assess the inflammatory response
• Laboratory monitoring for possible impaired absorption of nutrients from food

Diagnosis is followed by targeted therapy, which encompasses:

• Avoidance of nicotine or foods that are difficult to digest
• Medicinal supplementation of important vitamins and minerals
• Agents such as corticosteroids (as an enema, suppository, or tablet for acute flares) or other immunosuppressants, antibiotics for concurrent bacterial infections, and further medications as prophylaxis between disease flares

In very rare, severe cases and when medication fails, treatment in hospital is extended to include surgical intervention.