Crohn's Disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by transmural inflammation (affecting the entire wall of the involved bowel) and skip lesions (areas of inflammation with areas of normal lining between). Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus; as a result, the symptoms of Crohn's disease vary between affected individuals. The main gastrointestinal symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody) or constipation, vomiting and weight loss. Crohn's disease can also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract such as skin rashes, arthritis, and inflammation of the eye.

The disease was independently described in 1904 by Polish surgeon Antoni Lesniowski and in 1932 by American gastroenterologist Burrill Bernard Crohn, for whom the disease was eponymized. Dr. Crohn, along with two colleagues, described a series of patients with inflammation of the terminal ileum, the area most commonly affected by the illness. Crohn's disease affects between 400,000 and 600,000 people in North America. Prevalence estimates for Northern Europe have ranged from 27–48 per 100,000. Crohn's Disease often develops in the teenage years, though individuals in their earlier years are also at increased risk. There is a genetic component to susceptibility with highest relative risk in siblings, affecting males and females equally.

Although the cause of Crohn's disease is not known, it is believed to be an autoimmune disease that is genetically linked. The condition occurs when the immune system contributes to damage of the gastrointestinal tract by causing inflammation.

Unlike the other major type of IBD, ulcerative colitis, there is no known medical or surgical cure for Crohn's disease. Instead, a number of medical treatments are utilized with the goal of putting and keeping the disease in remission. These include aminosalicylic acid tablets (commonly marketed as "Pentasa"), steroid medications, immunomodulators (such as azathioprine, 6-MP, and methotrexate), and newer biological medications, such as infliximab and Abbott Laboratories' Humira.

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Recent Articles about Crohn's Disease:

(01/21/09) - Low Carb Diet best for Crohn's Disease, Researcher Finds

Although all you ever hear in most media accounts of low-carb diets, especially the Atkins diet, are negative and demeaning comments, the fact is this healthy dietary approach has been showing some truly remarkable health benefits in the research laboratory this year. We've seen that low-carb helps burn more body fat, is effective for treating teenage obesity, has been shown to be a reasonable alternative to a low-fat diet, beats out all other diets for weight loss and health success, and so much more...

(11/13/08) - Synthetic Compound NV-52 May Be Useful in Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

An article published in a recent edition of the peer review journal Expert Opinion, Vol. 16, No. 8, reveals the compound NV-52, developed by Novogen Limited (ASX: NRT) (NASDAQ: NVGN), may be useful for the maintenance of remission in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

IBD comprises two different syndromes: ulcerative colitis, which involves the rectum and colon, and Crohn's disease in which any portion of the gastrointestinal tract may be affected. The disease is characterized by periods of remission interspersed with 'flares' when the disease relapses, causing acute abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding and fatigue. There is no cure for IBD and medical therapy attempts to decrease the frequency of flares -- maintaining remission, or maintenance therapy. Unfortunately, none of these treatments is without unpleasant side effects....

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