Colonic Crohn’s Disease (Including Rectal Disease)

Abstract

Although small and large bowel disease often coincide in patients with Crohn’s disease, the surgical management of colonic disease has many different indications and so is described separately. Colonic Crohn’s disease is more likely to be associated with perianal lesions than is small bowel disease. Colonic disease less often obstructs and fistulates, although it may often have a fistula entering the sigmoid colon from associated ileal disease. Compared with small bowel Crohn’s disease colonic disease is more likely to present with acute and chronic bleeding and, occasionally, it is subject to acute exacerbations, closely resembling acute attacks of ulcerative colitis.