About Crohn's Disease Diagnosis

If you are suffering from fever, abdominal pain and tenderness, anal diseases and diarrhea with or without bleeding, you need to see a doctor right away. With the above symptoms, you may be suspected of suffering from the possibility of Crohn’s disease. There is a series of examinations done for Crohn’s disease diagnosis- Endoscopy, X-rays, blood and tissue tests. Additional tests may be required if you have been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, in order to monitor and study the condition further.

·        Complete blood count tests are done which may indicate high counts of white blood cells and sedimentation rates, thus indicating inflammation of the intestines or presence of infection

·        Low counts of red blood cells- indicate anemia and intestinal bleeding

·        Low blood proteins

·        Low body mineral count-loss of minerals due to severe diarrhea

·        Presence of C-reactive protein- indicates intestinal inflammation

·        Tests done to study the side-effects of some medications

·        Liver function tests (LFT)- screening of liver and bile duct abnormalities

·        Stool examination for bacterial infections

·        Antibody tests for indeterminate colitis

 

Barium X-ray examinations are done to understand the nature, location and distribution and the severity of the disease. It is a white chalky material visible in the X-ray and appears white on the films. Barium can be taken orally. It fills the intestines and X-ray films of the stomach and the intestines are taken. If barium is given through the rectum (barium enema), pictures of the colon and terminal ileum are taken. It is a sign of worry if the X-ray results show ulcers, narrowing and sometimes fistulae of the bowel.

There are different types of endoscopes for Crohn’s disease diagnosis. It also helps us understand how much of the bowel is affected. Endoscope is a thin, flexible tube with a video camera inside the tip and it helps the doctor study the lining of the gastrointestinal tract (GI). The image studied is downloaded, magnified, and reviewed on the computer screen. Endoscopy helps to identify early abnormalities of Crohn’s disease. Video capsule Endoscopy is very useful if there is a strong suspicion of Crohn’s disease. There are different procedures done to study the section of the GI tract-

 

Sigmoidoscopy- Studies the lining of the lower third of the large intestine (sigmoid colon)

Colonoscopy- Studies the lining of the entire large intestine (colon), and also till the end of the small intestine (ileum). They are flexible viewing tubes. They are more accurate than barium X-rays in identifying small ulcers and areas of inflammation of the colon and the ileum. It allows for small tissue samples (biopsies) to be taken and to be studied further under the microscope to confirm the presence of Crohn’s disease.

 

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography- Examines the bile ducts in the liver and the pancreas

 

Endoscopic Ultrasound- Uses an ultrasound probe attached to an endoscope to get deep images of the gut below the surface. Is used to diagnose perianal fistulas in patients with Crohn’s disease

 

Capsule Endoscopy- Patients taken in a vitamin sized capsule with a camera inside to produce images of sections of the small intestine.

 

Crohn’s disease diagnosis can sometimes be quite challenging. There are several tests conducted by the physician to make the diagnosis. Even with the presence of Crohn’s disease in a patient, these tests can sometimes give a false diagnosis.