Crohn's Disease Presenting As Acute Abdomen: A Case Report

Abstract

An inflammatory condition, Crohn's Disease (CD) can affect any portion of the GI system. TB, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and other gastrointestinal conditions share many of the signs and symptoms of CD. A third of patients have involvement in the small intestine, especially the terminal ileum, 20% have colon-only involvement, and about half have both colon and small intestine involvement. The most typical CD consequences, such as intestinal obstruction with segmental thickening and fibrosis, may occur in severe cases. Despite the extensive range of diagnostic methods available, including colonoscopy, barium x-rays, CT scans, and ultrasonography, a conclusive diagnosis of CD is still difficult to make, and there is no one "gold standard" sign of the disorder. Crohn's disease should be taken into consideration as a differential diagnosis in those who have an acute abdomen, especially if they have a long history of vague abdominal issues. We discuss a patient with an acute abdomen who was admitted to our hospital and was later found to have an intestinal obstruction. He was managed medically. Histology confirmed that the diseased excised parts as Crohn's Disease after an exploratory laparotomy.