Crohn Disease Pathology

Crohn Disease falls into the category of an Inflammatory Bowel Disease occurring due to an uncontrolled immune response. This response is likely a genetic nucleotide binding oligomerization domain gene frameshift mutation (Casler, 2019).

A normal GI tract is a system from mouth to anus that functions in the digestion of food and nutrients among other responsibilities. When a pathogen enters the body in any form whether bacterial or viral, the body’s immune system systematically responds resulting in a typical, asymptomatic GI tract. In Crohn Disease, the above genetic mutation causes a dysfunctional response. Leukocytes release pro-inflammatory agents causing inflammatory injury. As the insult continues these agents continue to respond uncontrollably causing a cycle of inflammation and tissue injury. This results in the physical signs and symptoms of Crohn Disease (Medscape, 2019).

To be diagnosed with Crohn Disease, one must rule out other disease processes such as Ulcerative Colitis which present very similarly. Crohn Disease has its own indicative diagnostic criteria that are all direct results from this dysfunctional inflammatory response (Medscape, 2019).

This criteria includes ulcerations or painful lesions that present in the GI tract and are indicative to this disease process due to its transmural depth. This means it can extend from the mucosa to the serosa. These lesions can be sporadically found throughout the GI tract and are also known as “skip lesions”. Another diagnostic criteria for Crohn Disease is a “cobblestone” appearance, which is a result of the edema and granulomas that are formed from immune cell congregation. As the disease progresses and more cycles of inflammation and injury occur, the lumen of the tract can become scarred or fibrotic resulting in stricture (Medscape, 2019; McCance & Huether, 2019).