Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the digestive tract. It often causes patchy inflammation extending through the bowel wall.

Intestinal mucosal barrier: The epithelial lining, mucus, immune cells, and other defenses that separate intestinal contents from underlying tissue. Barrier disruption can expose intestinal tissue to microbes and contribute to inflammation.
Inflammatory bowel disease: A group of chronic disorders, principally Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, involving inflammation of the digestive tract. Crohn's disease is one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease.
Ileocolonoscopy: An endoscopic examination of the colon and terminal ileum using a flexible camera. It can reveal Crohn's ulcers and provide biopsies from affected bowel.
Ulcerative colitis: A chronic inflammatory bowel disease limited to the colon, usually beginning in the rectum and extending continuously. Unlike Crohn's disease, it does not affect other digestive-tract regions and typically causes superficial continuous inflammation.
Malabsorption: Impaired absorption of nutrients across the digestive tract. Small-bowel Crohn's inflammation or resection can reduce absorption of vitamins and other nutrients.
NOD2: An intracellular immune receptor that detects bacterial cell-wall fragments and helps regulate innate immune responses. Variants in NOD2 are among the strongest known genetic risk factors for Crohn's disease.
Skip lesion: A diseased area separated from another diseased area by tissue that appears unaffected. Separated inflamed segments produce the patchy pattern characteristic of Crohn's disease.
Magnetic resonance enterography: An MRI technique that produces detailed images of the small intestine and surrounding tissues. It helps assess small-bowel inflammation, strictures, and fistulas beyond endoscopic reach.
Indeterminate colitis: A diagnosis used when inflammatory bowel disease cannot be confidently classified as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Some cases initially have features that do not clearly distinguish the two diseases.
Iron-deficiency anemia: Anemia caused by insufficient iron to produce adequate hemoglobin. Chronic intestinal blood loss and poor iron absorption can contribute to anemia in Crohn's disease.

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