Crohn’s Colitis Flashcards
CD
- Chronic inflammatory disorder
- Populations with Northern European and Jewish heritage exhibit the highest incidence of CD.
- Bimodal peaks around ages 20 and 50
- The environmental factors
- Genetic Factors
- Smoking
Name some of the Factors
- Environmental factors :
gastrointestinal infection
chronic use of NSAID
exposure to antibiotics - Disruption in the integrity of the intestinal mucosa and natural gut flora
- Smoking > Active and passive smoking + previous history of smoking
- Genetic > MLH1, a DNA mismatch repair gene, and in CARD15, a nuclear factor-kappa B transcription factor.
Notable characteristics pointing toward Crohns
- Skip lesions
- rectal sparing
- longitudinal ulcers
- intestinal and perianal fistulizing disease
- mucosal cobblestoning
Lab Works
- C-reactive protein
- erythrocyte sedimentation rate
- fecal calprotectin
- albumin levels
- complete blood count
- basic metabolic panel.
Imaging
- x-rays abdomen > initial > free perforation and evaluate severity of colonic dilation.
- Barium enema > longitudinal or transverse ulcers, deep fissuring of the bowel wall, coarse mucosa cobblestoning, or longitudinal intramural fistulas.
- Single or double contrast ( Rarely used )
- CTE > bowel wall thickness, stricturing, intraabdominal abscess, internal hernias, and/ or extraintestinal involvement and clarify the anatomy.
- Endoscopic examination with biopsy
What Percentage of CD spares Rectum ?
40%
If UC is suspected, In Colonoscopy what to do ?
- biopsy of the rectum, even if normal appearing on visual inspection, is helpful to rule out pathologic inflammatory changes.
What is inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) ‘‘indeterminate colitis’’
When differentiation between UC and CC not possible even under pathologic examination
MEDICAL MANAGEMENT
- bowel rest
- intravenous hydration
- antibiotics
- Nasogastric tube > if the stomach and small bowel are dilated
- Intravenous glucocorticoids > initiated early
- Serial abdominal exam
- plain radiographic films
- serologic markers > monitor disease progression.
- If symptoms do not improve in 72 hours
use of an anti-TNF antibody (infliximab) should be considered > response to anti-TNF should occur within 5 to 7 days.
emergent exploration, When ?
Acute abdomen with diffuse peritonitis, severe bleeding, and hemodynamic instability
Urgent exploration within the same hospitalization
- Toxic megacolon
- Acute large bowel obstruction unresponsive to medical management
- Intraabdominal abscess without successful control of sepsis by percutaneous drainage
Elective surgery
- Disease continues to progress despite extensive medical therapy
- Partial obstruction with fecalization of the small bowel,
- Persistent intraabdominal abscess despite percutaneous drainage and antibiotics
- Presence of high-grade dysplasia or malignancy
- Failure to thrive in children
Multidisciplinary management including
- gastroenterology
- infectious disease
- enterostomal nursing
- nutrition
- surgery
- interventional radiology
Steroids Vs immunomodulators for operative morbidity
- Dose-dependent operative morbidity with steroid therapy is well documented.
- In contrast, no clear association has been established between use of immunomodulators such as azathioprine, 6-mercaptutopurine, and methotrexate and postoperative morbidity.
what is associated with postoperative intraabdominal septic complication.
- weight loss > 10%
Enteral Vs TPN
- EEA is preferred over TPN due to maintenance of the physiologic route of nutrient absorption and avoidance of complications associated with TPN and central line placement.
- Preoperative EEA supplementation, for 3 months when feasible, has been shown to reduce the rate of postoperative septic complications.
What size of collection to Drain ?
- Any intraabdominal collection > 3 cm should be managed with percutaneous drainage with interventional radiology
What is the primary goal of preoperative optimization.
The reduction of the surrounding secondary inflammatory response to an area of severe disease or local perforation