Crohn’s Disease

1. Crohn’s Disease By Michael Di Marino

2. Introduction • Is chronic inflammation on any part of the gastrointestinal tract • It is most commonly developed in the small and large intestines • The cause for this disease is unknown • Is a very common disease now of days • People can live normal lives with this disease • Occurs in young teens (15) until mid age (35) is rare to have in childhood • Is known as an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

3. The history behind Crohn’s • Was discovered by Burril B. Crohn • He was an American physician • He first discover this disease in 1932 And it was named after him in the 1950s

4. Causes • The cause is really unknown, but is suspected to be by… • Immune system • Is caused by a virus or bacterium • Your immune system fights off invading micro organisms, which leads to your digestive tract to become inflamed • Hereditary • 20% of people with crohn’s disease have someone close to them with the disease. • It is a mutation in the gene NOD2 • Lack • Of proteins, calories, and vitamins, • Absorption in the intestines • Nutriention

5. Complications • Blockage of the intestines • It starts to thicken the intestinal wall with swelling and scar tissue • Can cause things such as … • Fistulae • Abscesses • And intestinal bleeding • As well as ulcers • If children develop it, it causes delayed development and stunted growth.

6. Fistulae • Is an abnormal tube-like passage in the tissue • This allows fluid to drain out of the intestine and into another part of the body. • So this means that the bacteria that live in your intestines are able to infect other areas of the body

7. Abscess • Another complication from Crohn’s disease is Abscess • It is a pocket like infection within the tissue • It creates an area of puss around the area of infection. • This is potentially deadly • This can cause fever, and severe abdominal pain

8. Symptoms • Diarrhea- caused by the lack of absorption due to the inflamed rectum. • abdominal cramp- caused by inflammation • Lower grade fever • Bloody/black tar like stool • Nausea • General feeling of ill/weakness • Anal abscesses • Mouth or skin lesion • Blood clots • Fatigue • Joint pain • Enteric arthritis- pain moves from one joint to another, even affecting the spine • Painful eye conditions which cause visual difficulties

9. Symptoms cont… • Can happen anywhere in the large and small intestine • Mostly occurs in the ileum for the small intestine • And mostly occurs in the colon for the large intestine.

10. How to diagnosis • It is very hard to diagnosis this disease, because it shows many symptoms of other intestinal disorders • When the disease is suspected they test patients many ways. • Barium x-ray (patients drink barium before an X-ray so that it coats the lining of the small intestine and if the barium shows, it means where the inflammation is in the intestine . • Ct scan of the intestine • Colonoscopy- where they stick a tube with a camera on the end of it, into your anus so they can make it to your colon and see what is happening in there. • Capsule endoscope

11. Risk factors • Age- most are diagnosed between 15- 35 years • Ethnicity- Caucasian have the highest risk of getting this disease. While Europeans and Jewish descendents are 4 to 5 times for likely to have this disease. • Family history- If someone in your family has this disease, you have a 30 times higher chance of getting it • Where you live- People in urban or industries country, are more likely to developed it. • Smoking- increases getting this disease. And if you continue smoking when you are having treatment, it decrease the effectiveness of that treatment.

12. Treatment • There is NO cure for crohn’s disease • Treatments help in lessening the recurring attacks • Medications Antidiarrheal- cures diarrhea/ abdominal cramps Corticosteroids- reduces inflammation in flare ups Nourishment- taking vitamins (such as B12) Drugs containing- mesalamine Anti-tumor necrosis Diet- eat food with high protein and calories to increase your nutrients • It also depends on location and severity of the disease But when worse comes to worse there is always … Surgery

13. Surgery • Is an immediate relief of pain from the disease • This does not cure the disease though • If in the small intestine, they remove the infected site • After surgery, it returns to an area right next to the one you just had removed • It is not a good idea to always have surgery • If in the Large Intestine, a colostomy is done… this is were they remove the whole large intestine.

14. Facts • This disease effects males and females equally • The inflammation is really a defense system for our body • 70% of all patients get one operation at one point in life • It is unknown what really causes Crohn’s disease

15. Future outlook • There is no Cure for Crohn’s disease • People with this disease can live normal, and full lives. • Associations such as National Institute of Diabetes and kidney disease are involved in finding a cure for this disease.

16. Cited http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/19219.jpg http://www.medgadget.com/archives/img/crohn.jpg http://odddiseases.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/crohns-disease.jpg http://www.choa.org/images/illustrations/Endoscopic_Procedure.gif http://www.mssm.edu/library/services/archives/archives_collections/images/crohn.jpg http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/images/ency/fullsize/19220.jpg http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/dynamicImages/chromomap/nod2.jpeg http://medicalimages.allrefer.com/large/anorectal-fistulas.jpg http://www.healthline.com/images/staywell/5903.jpg http://img.tfd.com/dorland/thumbs/abscess.jpg Bunch,bryan.(2003),cohn’s disease.”Diseases” (vol.2,pp116-118)Danbury: Scientific Publishing, Inc. Lawson, David. Mayo clinic Family health book. New York: William Morrow and company,inc. www.Medicinenet.com/crohns_disease/article.htm www.Myoclinic.com/health/crohns-disease/ds00104 www.faqs.org/heath/sick-V1/Crohn-s-Disease.html www.healthnewsflash.com/conditions/crohns_disease.htm