CROHN DISEASE: CASE REPORT

Abstract

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory process that affects the gastrointestinal tract, which can cause lesions that manifest from the mouth to the anal orifice, being a pathology with increasing incidence worldwide. It may result from a complex interaction between genetic susceptibility, environmental factors and altered intestinal microbiota, leading to unregulated innate and adaptive immune responses. The typical clinical setting is that of a young patient. presenting abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, weight loss and fatigue. The initial laboratory evaluation identifies the inflammation and makes it possible to screen differential diagnoses. Endoscopy and imaging tests are used to confirm the diagnosis and assess the extent of the disease. Patients generally receive corticosteroids to treat outbreaks of symptoms and patients with high-risk disease receive biological products with or without immunomodulators to induce and maintain remission. Crohn's disease patients are at increased risk of cancer, osteoporosis, anemia, nutritional deficiencies, depression, infection, thrombotic events, making it necessary, therefore, to maximize preventive measures in these patients.