During the 18th, 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th century, various observations of inflammatory lesions of the colon and small intestine were published, which were different of tuberculosis to which was at that time attributed every chronical small intestinal inflammatory disease. It was only in 1932, that in a very important paper, Crohn, Ginsburg and Oppenheimer defined the terminal ileitis, afterwards called regional enteritis, and finally more simply Crohn's disease. Twenty years later, in 1952, Crohn's disease of the colon, confused until that date with colonic tuberculosis and with ulcerative colitis, was also identified as a separate entity. Since that time, the number of reported cases has tremendously increased through its is impossible to state whether the incidence of the disease has really increased or whether the diagnosis is done earlier and more precisely. Even today, the exacts limits of the disease are difficult to precise, since the causal agent of the disease is unknown, and that no biological test is completely secure. The present work reports 60 observations of chronic colitis, associated or not with small intestinal inflammation.

Crohn Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Findings by baryum enema in granulomatous colitis and ileocolitis. A review based upon 60 cases (author's transl)].

Radiological aspects of colonic involvement in 60 patients whose disease has been followed up during several years are described. The typical radiological findings have been observed with their usual frequency. This study also confirmed the persistancy of the radiological findings in the chronic stage and the frequency of recurence in the two first years after surgery. Extension of disease has not been uncommon in the series, even without surgery. This progression was different, according to the initial location of disease: in the case of initial ileal lesion, extension occurred towards the adjacent caecum and right colon in sequence; in the case of initial colitis or ileocolitis lesion, extension occurred at a distance in other colonic segments.

Anal Canal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Extra intestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease (author's transl)].

The extra intestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease (CD) are not devoid of interest. They can, by themselves, aggravate the CD. Some of them have to be searched systematically (urinary complications, spondylarthritis and sacro-iliac arthritis). Amongst our 60 cases of Crohn's disease of the colon or of the ileon and colon, articular manifestations were the most frequent: arthralgias 25 cases (42%), true arthritis 17 cases (28%), spondylarthritis 5 cases, aacro-ileitis 9 cas (13%), finger hippocratism 11 cases (18%). In second cause, the cutaneous manifestations: 29 cases (48%) among which 6 cases (10%) of erytheme nodosa and 9 cases of allergic troubles (15%). Then came ocular troubles (5 cases), jaundice (5 cases). We observed 4 renal lithiasis and an hepatic sarcoïd granuloma revealed by the liver biopsy. Some complications were the local consequence of a local disease (hydronephrosis). Others represented the distant repercussion of a severe chronical intestinal disease. Some were true extra-intestinal localisations of the disease (perineal ulcerations and para-stomal ulcerations). Finally some complications, though non specific of Crohn's disease, evolued in parallel to it (some articular, ocular; dermatologic complications). In some cases they were anterior by several months or years to the intestinal symptoms of Crohn's disease, which suggests the existence of common etiological factors, especially genetical.

Arthritis↗