Crohn's disease (regional enteritis)

Alternative names:

granulomatous ileocolitis; ileitis; inflammatory bowel disease; regional enteritis

Symptoms:

• abdominal pain
• fever
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• weight loss
• abdominal mass
• abdominal sounds (borborygmus, a gurgling or splashing sound heard over the intestine)
• clubbing of the fingers or toes
• gastrointestinal bleeding
• stools - foul smelling
• tenesmus (painful stools)

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• stools, bloody
• joint pain
• incontinence
• gums, swollen
• constipation
• abdominal fullness, gaseous

Signs and tests:

An abdominal examination may reveal a mass (aggregation of cells) or tenderness.

• tests that show findings of Crohn's disease
  • endoscopy, colonoscopy, or sigmoidoscopy with small bowel biopsy
  • enteroclysis (small bowel follow through)
  • barium enema
  • upper GI series

• positive stool guaiac

A stool culture may be done to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• quantitative immunoglobulins (nephelometry)
• immunoelectrophoresis - serum
• fecal fat
• D-xylose absorption
• albumin