OBJECTIVES: At present, there are many studies on Crohn's disease of terminal ileum and colon, but few studies on Crohn's disease of small intestine alone. This study aims to analyze the clinical features and therapeutic effect of small bowel in adult patients with Crohn's disease so as to strengthen the diagnosis and treatment for this disease. METHODS: From July 1, 2015 to October 31, 2018, patients with small bowel Crohn's disease at Department of Gastroenterology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, were enrolled. At the same time, patients' demographics and clinical data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients were small bowel Crohn's disease. Among them, 40 patients were male. The age at diagnosis was (35.8±10.3) years old and disease duration was (35.2±59.5) months. The subtypes included 29(65.9%) of ileum, 7(15.9%) of jejunum, 8(18.2%) of ileum with jejunum. There were 27(61.4%) of stricture behavior, 4(9.1%) of penetrating behavior, and 13(29.5%) of non-stricture and non-penetrating behavior. Endoscopic visible stricture (29/85, 34.1%) was common, followed by longitudinal ulcers (27/85, 31.8%). Non-caseate granulomatous were found in 2 cases (4.5%). The score of Crohn's disease activity index was correlated to hemoglobin, hematocrit, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (all CONCLUSIONS Patients with ileum account for a large proportion in patients with small bowel Crohn's disease. Stricture is more common in small bowel Crohn's disease. Stricture and longitudinal ulcer are more common under enteroscopy. Crohn's disease activity index is correlated to hemoglobin, red blood cell specific volume, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The most common complication is intestinal obstruction. Mesalazine is less effective on small bowel Crohn's disease.
Adult ; Crohn Disease/drug therapy* ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestinal Obstruction/etiology* ; Intestine, Small ; Male ; Middle Aged

Crohn disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the entire digestive tract and non-perianal fistula is the most serious surgical complication of CD. The goal of treatment is to cure intestinal fistula and intra-abdominal infection, restore the continuity of digestive tract, reduce postoperative recurrence, and improve the quality of life. Evaluation of nutritional status, especially during perioperative period, is important and nutrition support for malnutritional CD patients is necessary. Full assessment of non-perianal fistula and promotion of self-healing is the principal treatment, and surgical drainage combined with enteral nutrition may be a feasible treatment. Trocar puncture with sump drain is recommended to control intra-abdominal abscess. Surgical treatment of enterocutaneous fistula, enteroenteric fistula, enterovesical fistula or enterogynaecological fistula should be considered if medical treatment, nutrition support and surgical drainage fail. Laparoscopic surgery is recommended for patients with mild adhesion of non-perianal fistulating CD. Postoperative medical treatment and risk assessment should be carried out to reduce postoperative recurrence of CD and fistula.
Abdominal Abscess ; etiology ; therapy ; Consensus ; Crohn Disease ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Drainage ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Rectal Fistula ; etiology ; therapy

Adult ; Crohn Disease ; complications ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Hemoperitoneum ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating ; diagnosis ; etiology

Bile acid diarrhea (BAD) is usually seen in patients with ileal Crohn's disease or ileal resection. However, 25% to 50% of patients with functional diarrhea or diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) also have evidence of BAD. It is estimated that 1% of the population may have BAD. The causes of BAD include a deficiency in fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF-19), a hormone produced in enterocytes that regulates hepatic bile acid (BA) synthesis. Other potential causes include genetic variations that affect the proteins involved in BA enterohepatic circulation and synthesis or in the TGR5 receptor that mediates the actions of BA in colonic secretion and motility. BAs enhance mucosal permeability, induce water and electrolyte secretion, and accelerate colonic transit partly by stimulating propulsive high-amplitude colonic contractions. There is an increased proportion of primary BAs in the stool of patients with IBS-D, and some changes in the fecal microbiome have been described. There are several methods of diagnosing BAD, such as 75selenium homotaurocholic acid test retention, serum C4, FGF-19, and fecal BA measurement; presently, therapeutic trials with BA sequestrants are most commonly used for diagnosis. Management involves the use of BA sequestrants including cholestyramine, colestipol, and colesevelam. FXR agonists such as obeticholic acid constitute a promising new approach to treating BAD.
Anticholesteremic Agents/therapeutic use ; Bile Acids and Salts/*physiology ; Crohn Disease/complications ; Diarrhea/*etiology/pathology/therapy ; Feces/chemistry ; Fibroblast Growth Factors/deficiency ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome/complications

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been increasing worldwide. The characteristics of pediatric-onset IBD have mainly been reported in Western countries. We investigated the clinical characteristics of pediatric IBD in Korea and compared these with the data from the 5-year European multicenter study of children with new-onset IBD (EUROKIDS registry). METHODS: Children who were diagnosed with IBD between July 1987 and January 2012 were investigated at five Korean university hospitals. Their clinical characteristics were retrospectively evaluated by medical record review. The results were compared with the EUROKIDS data. RESULTS: A total of 30 children with Crohn's disease (CD) and 33 children with ulcerative colitis (UC) were enrolled. In comparison with the EUROKIDS group, Korean pediatric IBD patients showed a male predominance (86.7% vs 59.2%, p=0.002 in CD; 75.8% vs 50%, p=0.003 in UC). Korean pediatric CD patients had a higher prevalence of terminal ileal disease (36.7% vs 16.3%, p=0.004) and perianal disease (33.3% vs 8.2%, p<0.001) than patients in the EUROKIDS group. Korean pediatric UC patients had a higher prevalence of proctitis than patients in the EUROKIDS group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the characteristics of Korean pediatric IBD patients and European pediatric IBD patients may be different.
Adolescent ; Anus Diseases/complications/epidemiology/pathology ; Child ; Colitis, Ulcerative/complications/epidemiology/*pathology ; Crohn Disease/complications/epidemiology/*pathology ; Europe/epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Ileal Diseases/complications/epidemiology/pathology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Proctitis/epidemiology/etiology ; Registries ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Factors

Small bowel capsule endoscopy has been now widely applied for patients who are highly suspected of small bowel disease with occult bleeding and unexplained abdominal pain. Capsule retention is a major complication, with an overall incidence of 1%-2%, commonly seen in the detection of Crohn's disease and small bowel tumors. Most cases run asymptomatically after retention, while intestinal obstruction or perforation can occur ralely. Conservative methods, endoscopic or surgical interventions are performed to deal with the retention. Patency capsule is currently used as a novel tool to reduce the risk of capsule retention.
Capsule Endoscopy ; adverse effects ; Capsules ; Crohn Disease ; diagnosis ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; adverse effects ; Foreign Bodies ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intestinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Intestinal Obstruction ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Intestine, Small

Sclerosing mesenteritis (SM) is a rare disease characterized by chronic nonspecific mesenteric inflammation and fibrosis of unknown etiology. Some tumefactive SM shows diffuse accumulation of IgG4-positive plasma cells and is considered as a part of the spectrum of IgG4-related disease. An association between inflammatory bowel disease and IgG4-related disease has been indicated. A 45-year-old woman visited our hospital due to weight loss with intermittent lower abdominal discomfort. Pelvic ultrasound revealed a mass-like lesion in the abdominal wall and pelvis MRI demonstrated a 5.9 cm sized wall-enhancing mass with heterogeneous signal intensity from right adnexa to the abdominal wall. Tumor resection and adhesiolysis was done because of severe adhesion with the small bowel, colon, bladder, uterus, and abdominal wall. Appendectomy was also performed due to adhesion and edematous change. Histological examination of the resected mass showed findings that were compatible with IgG4-related SM. The resected appendix showed chronic granulomatous inflammation without evidence of tuberculosis. She was diagnosed with Crohn's disease after undergoing colonoscopy and CT enterography. Herein, we report a rare case of IgG4-related SM that occurred in conjunction with Crohn's disease.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use ; Appendix/pathology ; Azathioprine/therapeutic use ; Colonoscopy ; Crohn Disease/complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/*blood ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mesalamine/therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Panniculitis, Peritoneal/*diagnosis/etiology/ultrasonography ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Urinary Bladder/pathology

Anal fistula is the most common perianal lesion in Crohn disease (CD), which usually is complicated and difficult to treat, and has a high recurrence rate and serious influence on the quality of life of patients. Inaccurate or incomplete intervention may result in irreversible damage. In order to achieve the best outcome, an optimal disease assessment is crucial. Many imaging modalities are useful for the evaluation of perianal fistulas in CD, which may help confirm the diagnosis, accurately classify the disease, plan the most suitable treatment, and monitor the efficacy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and anal endosonography (AES) are considered to be the suitable options for evaluation of the initial perianal fistula, both in terms of sensitivity and specificity, while MRI is more suitable for monitoring the curative efficacy. Fistulography (by X ray or CT) is generally less applied due to inferior soft tissue performance, radiation exposure, etc. This paper reviews the various imaging modalities, analyzes their advantages and disadvantages in order to assist clinicians in selecting the most appropriate examination individually.
Crohn Disease ; complications ; Endosonography ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Multimodal Imaging ; Quality of Life ; Rectal Fistula ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Plummer-Vinson syndrome manifests as cervical dysphagia, iron deficiency anemia, an upper esophageal web, and atrophic glossitis. The cause of the esophageal web is thought to be iron deficiency anemia; however, the cause of Plummer-Vinson syndrome has not been established. Crohn's disease is usually accompanied by malnutrition and iron deficiency anemia; however, no case of concomitant Crohn's disease and Plummer-Vinson syndrome with aggravated malnutrition and anemia has been previously reported. Here, we report on a rare case of Plummer-Vinson syndrome in a Crohn's disease patient, which caused malnutrition and constipation.
Adult ; Cobblestone Lissencephaly/diagnosis ; Colon, Sigmoid/surgery ; Crohn Disease/complications/*diagnosis ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper/radiography ; Humans ; Male ; Plummer-Vinson Syndrome/*diagnosis/etiology ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often complain of fatigue. To date, only a few studies in Western countries have focused on fatigue related to IBD, and fatigue has never been specifically studied in Asian IBD patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the fatigue level and fatigue-related factors among Korean IBD patients. METHODS: Patients in remission or with mild to moderate IBD were included. Fatigue was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue and the Brief Fatigue Inventory. Corresponding healthy controls (HCs) also completed both fatigue questionnaires. RESULTS: Sixty patients with Crohn disease and 68 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) were eligible for analysis. The comparison group consisted of 92 HCs. Compared with the HCs, both IBD groups were associated with greater levels of fatigue (p<0.001). Factors influencing the fatigue score in UC patients included anemia and a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). CONCLUSIONS: Greater levels of fatigue were detected in Korean IBD patients compared with HCs. Anemia and ESR were determinants of fatigue in UC patients. Physicians need to be aware of fatigue as one of the important symptoms of IBD to better understand the impact of fatigue on health-related quality of life.
Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Colitis, Ulcerative/*complications/ethnology ; Crohn Disease/*complications/ethnology ; Fatigue/ethnology/*etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Republic of Korea/ethnology