JH+presentation+wiki

Delicious Tag - hbcrohns =Crohn's disease -= It is the chronic imflamation of the intestines, which causes ulcers to form in the end of the small intestine and at the beginning of the large intestine.

Symptoms: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/crohns-disease/DS00104/DSECTION=2 __**Possible causes**__ There's no clear evidence that MAP causes Crohn's disease. Some researchers believe that a genetic susceptibility may trigger an abnormal response to the bacterium in some people. Currently, most investigators believe that some people with the disease develop it because of an abnormal immune response to bacteria that normally live in the intestine.
 * **Diarrhea.** The inflammation that occurs in Crohn's disease causes cells in the affected areas of your intestine to secrete large amounts of water and salt. Because the colon can't completely absorb this excess fluid, you develop diarrhea. Intensified intestinal cramping also can contribute to loose stools. In mild cases, stools may simply be looser or more frequent than usual. But people with severe disease may have dozens of bowel movements a day, affecting both sleep and ordinary activities.
 * **Abdominal pain and cramping.** Inflammation and ulceration may cause the walls of portions of your bowel to swell and eventually thicken with scar tissue. This affects the normal movement of intestinal tract contents through your digestive tract and may lead to pain and cramping. Mild Crohn's disease usually causes slight to moderate intestinal discomfort, but in more serious cases, the pain may be severe and occur with nausea and vomiting.
 * **Blood in your stool.** Food moving through your digestive tract can cause inflamed tissue to bleed, or your bowel may also bleed on its own. You might notice bright red blood in the toilet bowl or darker blood mixed with your stool. You can also have bleeding you don't see (occult blood). In severe disease, bleeding is often serious and ongoing.
 * **Ulcers.** Crohn's disease begins as small, scattered sores on the surface of the intestine. Eventually these sores may become large ulcers that penetrate deep into — and sometimes through — the intestinal walls. You may also have ulcers in your mouth similar to canker sores.
 * **Reduced appetite and weight loss.** Abdominal pain and cramping and the inflammatory reaction in the wall of your bowel can affect both your appetite and your ability to digest and absorb food.
 * **Fistula or abscess.** Inflammation from Crohn's disease may tunnel through the wall of the bowel into adjacent organs, such as the bladder or vagina, creating an abnormal connection called a fistula. This can also lead to an abscess, a swollen, pus-filled sore. The fistula may also tunnel out through your skin. A common place for this type of fistula is in the area around the anus. When this occurs, it's called perianal fistula.
 * Immune system.** It's possible that a virus or bacterium may cause Crohn's disease. When your immune system tries to fight off the invading microorganism, the digestive tract becomes inflamed. One microorganism that may be involved in the development of Crohn's is Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), a bacterium that causes intestinal disease in cattle. Researchers have found MAP in the blood and intestinal tissue of many people with Crohn's disease, but only rarely in people with ulcerative colitis.
 * Immune system.** It's possible that a virus or bacterium may cause Crohn's disease. When your immune system tries to fight off the invading microorganism, the digestive tract becomes inflamed. One microorganism that may be involved in the development of Crohn's is Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), a bacterium that causes intestinal disease in cattle. Researchers have found MAP in the blood and intestinal tissue of many people with Crohn's disease, but only rarely in people with ulcerative colitis.


 * **Heredity.** About 20 percent of people with Crohn's disease have a parent, sibling or child who also has the disease. Mutations in a gene called NOD2/CARD15 tend to occur frequently in people with Crohn's disease and seem to be associated with an early onset of symptoms as well as a high risk of relapse after surgery for the disease. Scientists continue to search for other genetic mutations that might play a role in Crohn's.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/crohns-disease/DS00104/DSECTION=3

Risk Factors

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/crohns-disease/DS00104/DSECTION=4 Treatment The goal of medical treatment is to reduce the inflammation that triggers your signs and symptoms. In the best cases, this may lead not only to symptom relief but also to long-term remission. Treatment for Crohn's disease usually involves drug therapy or, in certain cases, surgery.
 * **Age.** Crohn's disease can strike at any age, but you're likely to develop the condition when you're young. Most people are diagnosed with Crohn's between the ages of 20 and 30.
 * **Ethnicity.** Although whites have the highest risk of the disease, it can affect any ethnic group. If you're Jewish and of European descent, you're four to five times as likely as other people are to have Crohn's disease.
 * **Family history.** You're at higher risk if you have a close relative, such as a parent, sibling or child, with the disease. If a brother or sister has Crohn's disease, your risk of developing the disease is 30 times as high as the general population's risk.
 * **Where you live.** If you live in an urban area or in an industrialized country, you're more likely to develop Crohn's disease. Because Crohn's disease occurs more often among people living in cities and industrial nations, it's possible that environmental factors, including a diet high in fat or refined foods, may play a role. People living in Northern climates also seem to have a greater risk of the disease.
 * **Smoking.** If you smoke, you are far more likely to develop Crohn's disease. Continuing to smoke after diagnosis also can make your treatment less effective, or worsen your illness after you've been diagnosed.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are often the first step in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
 * Anti-inflammatory drugs**

These drugs also reduce inflammation, but they target your immune system rather than treating inflammation itself. Because these drugs can be effective in treating inflammatory bowel disease, scientists theorize that damage to digestive tissues is caused by your body's immune response to an invading virus or bacterium or even to your own tissue. By suppressing this response, inflammation is also reduced.
 * Immune system suppressors**

Antibiotics can heal fistulas and abscesses in people with Crohn's disease. Researchers also believe antibiotics help reduce harmful intestinal bacteria and directly suppress the intestine's immune system, which can trigger symptoms.
 * Antibiotics**

If diet and lifestyle changes, drug therapy or other treatments don't relieve your signs and symptoms, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove a damaged portion of your digestive tract or to close fistulas or remove scar tissue.
 * Surgery**