Complications of Crohn's disease

Complications list for Crohn's disease:

The list of complications that have been mentioned in various sources for Crohn's disease includes:

• Intestinal blockage
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Intestinal ulcers (see Digestive symptoms) - and these may lead to various complications:
  • Performated intestinal ulcer
  • Peritonitis
  • Abdominal abscess
  • Abdominal fistula
  • Adhesions
• Protein deficiency
• Calorie deficiency
• Vitamin deficiency
• Malabsorption
• Bacterial infections of the digestive tract
• Gastrointestinal abscess
• Gastrointestinal fistula (type of Fistula) - affecting bladder, vagina, or skin
• Intestinal cancer (see Digestive symptoms) - higher risk for cancer of the ileum.
• Complications of the predisnone and steroid treatments rather than Crohn's itself include
  • Infections
  • Fractures
  • Bone loss (osteoporosis)
  • Fractures
  • Weight gain
• Eye complications (see Eye symptoms)
• Uveitis
• Arthritis
• Skin problems
• Eye inflammation
• Mouth inflammation
• Kidney stones
• Gallstones
• Liver diseases
• Biliary system diseases
• Abscess
• Obstruction
• Fistulae formation
• Abscesses
• Severe hemorrhage
• Colon cancer
• The most common complication is blockage of the intestine
• Crohn's disease may also cause sores, or ulcers, that tunnel through the affected area into surrounding tissues, such as the bladder, vagina, or skin. The areas around the anus and rectum are often involved. The tunnels, called fistulas, are a common complication and often become infected

See also the symptoms of Crohn's disease and Crohn's disease: Introduction.

Complications and sequelae of Crohn's disease from the Diseases Database include:

• CEA raised
• Bile acid malabsorption syndrome
• Enthesopathy
• Rectovesical fistula
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Cheilosis
• Proctitis
• Abdominal mass
• Pneumatosis intestinalis
• AA amyloidosis
• Fistula of intestine
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• ESR raised
• Gastrointestinal polyps
• Erythema nodosum
• Monocytosis
• Diarrhoea
• Gastroduodenal ulcers
• Digital clubbing
• Liver granuloma
• Reiter's syndrome
• Reactive arthropathy
• Intestinal stricture
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Malabsorption syndrome
• Rectovaginal fistula
• Abdominal pain
• Cheilitis granulomatosa
• Colitis
• Pyrexia of unknown origin
• Pyoderma gangrenosum
• Alkaline phosphatase levels raised (plasma or serum)

See also the symptoms of Crohn's disease and Crohn's disease: Introduction.

Complications of Crohn's disease:

Crohn's Disease: NIDDK (Excerpt)

The most common complication is blockage of the intestine. Blockage occurs because the disease tends to thicken the intestinal wall with swelling and scar tissue, narrowing the passage. Crohn's disease may also cause sores, or ulcers, that tunnel through the affected area into surrounding tissues such as the bladder, vagina, or skin. The areas around the anus and rectum are often involved. The tunnels, called fistulas, are a common complication and often become infected. Sometimes fistulas can be treated with medicine, but in some cases they may require surgery.

Nutritional complications are common in Crohn's disease. Deficiencies of proteins, calories, and vitamins are well documented in Crohn's disease. These deficiencies may be caused by inadequate dietary intake, intestinal loss of protein, or poor absorption (malabsorption).

Other complications associated with Crohn's disease include arthritis, skin problems, inflammation in the eyes or mouth, kidney stones, gallstones, or other diseases of the liver and biliary system. Some of these problems resolve during treatment for disease in the digestive system, but some must be treated separately. (Source: excerpt from Crohn's Disease: NIDDK)

Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID (Excerpt)

Illness in afflicted individuals can result from intestinal inflammation and from side effects of the drugs used for the disease. For example, daily use of high-dose corticosteroid (prednisone) therapy, which is needed to control severe symptoms of Crohn's disease, can predispose patients to infections, bone thinning (osteoporosis), and fractures. (Source: excerpt from Understanding Autoimmune Disease: NIAID)

You may also want to research other symptoms in our Symptoms Center.

About complications:

Complications of Crohn's disease are secondary conditions, symptoms, or other disorders that are caused by Crohn's disease. In many cases the distinction between symptoms of Crohn's disease and complications of Crohn's disease is unclear or arbitrary.

Search Specialists by State and City