Crohn's disease

Question 1

what area of the digestive tract can Crohn’s disease affect

Answer 1

anywhere from mouth to anus (2/3rds occurs just in small bowel)

Question 2

describe the onset of Crohn’s disease

Answer 2

slow, over years

Question 3

skip lesions are seen in Crohn’s disease, describe what a skip lesion is

Answer 3

lesion in which normal tissue is interspersed in the pathological tissue

Question 4

what aggravates Crohn’s and makes it worse

Answer 4

NSAIDs make it worse and smoking aggravates it

Question 5

describe the presentation of Crohn’s disease

Answer 5

abdominal pain, diarrhoea(+/- blood), weight loss, mouth ulcers, perianal disease

Question 6

what is included in the term perianal disease

Answer 6

fissures, abscesses, sinuses, skin tags etc.

Question 7

describe the pathology of Crohn’s disease

Answer 7

granulomas, cryptitis and crypt abscesses

Question 8

describe the effect of Crohn’s on the bowel walls

Answer 8

thickening of bowel wall and fat wrapping, causing strictures

Question 9

describe the effect of Crohn’s on the gastric mucosa

Answer 9

deep fissuring ulceration(transmural), ‘cobble-stoning’ of mucosa
(transmural = through the wall of an organ)

Question 10

what are some of the complications of Crohn’s disease

Answer 10

malabsorption(vit. deficiency, anaemia etc.), gall stones, anal disease, bowel obstruction/perforation