Crohn’s disease: understand what it is, symptoms and treatments

The singer Adrian Olivares former member of the musical group Menudo, passed away last Monday (8) due to complications arising from surgery to treat Crohn’s disease . This is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by inflammation of the digestive tract, mainly affecting the small and large intestine.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a renowned academic medical center located in the United States, Crohn’s disease affects approximately 6 to 8 million people worldwide. There is still no single known cause for the onset of the disease, but it may be related to a dysfunctional immune response, in which the immune system begins to attack healthy cells in the body, causing inflammation.

However, some risk factors may be associated with the development of the disease, such as:

• Smoking : smoking may increase the risk of developing Crohn’s disease;
• Age : the disease is more common in adolescence and in young people under 30 years of age, although it can be diagnosed in older people;
• Food : a diet rich in fat increases the risk of inflammation in the intestine;
• Family history : having family members with the disease increases a person’s risk of developing the condition;
• Stress : The body’s response to stress can increase the chance of inflammatory processes, including Crohn’s disease.

Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of Crohn’s disease can appear gradually or suddenly, and can range in intensity from mild to severe. Initially, symptoms such as:

• Abdominal pain;
• Chronic diarrhea;
• Loss of appetite;
• Weight loss;
• Presence of blood in the stool.

As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more intense and severe, affecting other areas of the body besides the intestine. This is the case for:

• Anemia;
• Ulcers in the mouth or gums;
• Arthritis or joint pain;
• Skin rashes;
• Osteoporosis;
• Colon obstruction;
• Kidney stone;
• High fever;
• Generalized fatigue.

How is the diagnosis made?

According to the MSD Manual, Crohn’s disease can be diagnosed through blood and stool tests, as well as imaging tests (CT scan or MRI) and colonoscopy.

Blood tests can detect anemia, a characteristic of Crohn’s disease. Stool tests can help rule out the possibility that diarrhea and other intestinal symptoms are caused by intestinal infections.

Imaging tests are important to detect possible obstructions, abscesses or fistulas and to rule out other possible causes of intestinal inflammation. Finally, a colonoscopy can detect Crohn’s disease in the colon and ileum (the final part of the small intestine). During the procedure, the doctor may perform a biopsy, collecting small samples of tissue for laboratory analysis, which also helps to confirm the diagnosis.

“Diagnosing inflammatory bowel diseases is a puzzle; a single test will rarely diagnose the condition,” explains Maira Marzinotto, gastroenterologist at the Specialized Center for the Digestive System at Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, in an article previously published in CNN .

“Colonoscopy is a key piece that, when altered, ends up helping to close the diagnosis. But many other tests may be necessary, such as fecal exams, to see if there is inflammation in the digestive tract, endoscopy, to analyze if there is involvement of the stomach and esophagus, which is rarer”, he adds.

Crohn’s Disease Treatments

There is currently no cure for Crohn’s disease. The goal of treatment is to reduce inflammation and, consequently, its symptoms, as well as to prevent possible complications.

According to the MSD Manual, treatment can be done using medications for diarrhea, corticosteroids, antibiotics, aminosalicylates (used to treat inflammation), immunomodulatory medications (which reduce the action of the immune system), biological agents (agents that modify the actions of the immune system), in addition to a specific diet for patients with Crohn’s disease.

In some cases, surgery may be indicated to treat complications of the disease, such as to remove intestinal perforations, fistulas or to unblock the intestine.

Can Crohn’s disease turn into cancer?

Crohn’s disease can increase the risk of developing colon cancer, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Therefore, following the treatment correctly is essential to control the inflammatory process and minimize complications.

“Therefore, patients with rectocolitis or Crohn’s disease with involvement of the large intestine should always be monitored and periodically undergo colonoscopy to reduce this risk as much as possible,” advises Marzinotto.

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