Overview
A type of chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. In individuals with Crohn’s disease, inflammation occurs as autoantibodies attack cells in the intestinal region of the GI tract. Notably, the inflammation may appear and reappear throughout time, with flare-ups sometimes occurring in response to dietary choices or medication disruptions/changes.
Inflammation can occur anywhere along the GI tract in continuous or segmented regions, though the specific location of this inflammation is unique to each person. Consequently, Crohn’s disease is typically categorized according to which part or parts of the gut are most affected.