An Autoimmune Disorder

Crohn’s disease is inflammation of the digestive system that results from an abnormal immune response.

A cure has not yet been discovered.

Inherited Genes The Immune System Environmental Factors

◦ Antigens

Crohn’s Disease is diagnosed by a variety of medical tests and exams.

It is often misdiagnosed as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Colon Cancer, and Ulcerative Colitis.

Blood work to check for inflammation or Anemia

Barium X-Ray CAT scan Video Capsule Endoscopy Colonoscopy Biopsy of enflamed tissue

The person would have many symptoms ◦ Diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, appetite

loss, weight loss, nausea, fever, rectal bleeding The patient will experience little to no

symptoms but will eventually have flare ups

The intestines may be obstructed by inflammation of the intestines which will form scar tissue

Patients with mild to no symptoms will not need treatment

A patient with severe symptoms will be put on anti-inflammatory medicines, topical antibiotics, and/or immune modulators

If the disease is severe enough, they will need surgery to remove scar tissue from the intestines.

Abnormalities of lymph drainage have been linked to Crohn’s disease

Lymphatic System develops the inflammation of the Digestive Tract/ Intestines.

Lymph flows through lymph nodes sampling antigens to the immune system. The antigens may then cause inflammation of the digestive tract which leads to Crohn’s disease.

20% of Crohn’s disease patients have a blood relative with some sort of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

People of Jewish heritage have a greater risk of developing Crohn’s disease

African Americans have a lower risk of developing the disease

www.medicinenet.com www.crohnsonline.com www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.justcrohns.com

By: Alex Caldwell and Logan McNamara