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. Tuberculosis, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and other gastrointestinal disorders share many 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 challenging, and there is no one "gold standard" sign of the disorder. Crohn's disease should be considered a differential diagnosis in those with 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 a small intestinal obstruction. He was managed medically. After an exploratory laparotomy, histology confirmed Crohn's disease from the excised bowel parts.