2. Crohn´s disease is a chronic inflammatory
gastrointestinal disease characterised by transmural
granulomatous inflammation affecting any part of the
gut from mouth to anus.
There is unaffected bowel
between areas of active
disease: SKIP LESIONS.
Introduction
3. Cause
• Cause is unknown.
• Environmental agents are implicated.
• Genetics: mutations of the NOD2/CARD15.
• Colon involvement goes with increased
CARD15 gene expression in macrophages
and intestinal epithelial cells.
• Dysregulated immune responses might be
primary or secondary (infecting gut
commensals like Mycobacterium avium
para-TB).
• E. coli adhesins, p273, may play a role in
developing Morbus Crohn.
4. Epidemiology
• Prevalence is 0,5-1/1000.
• More common in women.
• Incidence is 5-10/100000/year.
• Presentation is mostly at age of 20
to 40 years.
• Smoking increases risk 3-4 times.
• NSAID may exacerbate disease.
15. Mild attack
Symptomatic patient, but
systemically well.
Prednisolone 30 mg/d per os for 1
week, then 20 mg/d for 4 weeks.
If symptoms resolve, prednisolone
5 mg every 2-4 weeks.
When parameters are normal, stop
prednisolone.
16. Severe attacks
Patient is systemically ill.
Admit in the hospital for iv. steroids.
Nil by mouth!
Iv. infusion 1 L 0,9% saline + 2 L dextrose-saline/24
hours + 20 mmol K+/L (less potassium in elderly).
17. Severe attacks
• Hydrocortisone 100 mg/6 h iv.
• Hydrocortisone 100 mg in 100 mL 0,9%
saline/12 hours per rectum is effective
treatment for rectal disease.
• Metronidazole 400 mg/8 hours per os or
500 mg/8 hours iv. can be useful in
perianal disease or superadded
infection.
18. Severe attacks
• Daily physical examination with full
blood count, erythrocyte
sedimentation rate, CRP, urea,
creatinine and eletrolytes.
• Plain abdominal X ray.
• Consider need for blood transfusion
and parenteral nutrition.
19. Severe attacks
If the patient is improving after 5 days, transfer
to oral prednisolone 40 mg/day.
If the patient is not improving, INFLIXIMAB or
ADALIMUMAB.
In the case of severe abdominal pain, consider
abdominal sepsis complicating Crohn´s disease.
23. TNFα inhibitors
• Infliximab and adalimumab can
decrease disease activity because TNFα
plays important role in pathogenesis of
Crohn´s disease.
• They counter neutrophil accumulation
and granuloma formation, activate
complement and cause cytotoxicity to
CD4+ T-cells.
24. Methotrexate
Methotrexate 25 mg im.
weekly for remission
induction is enabling
complete withdrawal from
steroids in patients with
refractory Crohn´s disease.
25. Nutrition
Enteral nutrition is preferred
(polymeric diet) over the total
parenteral nutrition in exacerbations.
Low residue diets help control
Crohn´s activity.
26. Literature
• Oxford Handbook of Clinical
Medicine. Longmore M.
Wilkinson I. B. Baldwin A.
Elizabeth W. Ninth edition.
• Meddiction.com
• Wikipedia.org