Esophagitis, In Crohn’s Disease

Synonyms

Esophageal Crohn’s disease

Definition

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic, idiopathic, segmental transmural inflammatory disease arising from an interaction between genetic and environmental factors but observed predominantly in developed countries of the world. The precise etiology is unknown. The disease may involve one or more segments of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract from the mouth to the anus. The ileum, the colon, the rectum, and the perianal region are the most frequent locations of disease involvement. However, esophageal involvement can also be present in patients with Crohn’s disease, even though CD involvement of the upper gastrointestinal tract is almost invariably accompanied by small or large bowel disease.

Histologic abnormalities found in the upper GI tract may be contributory in establishing a specific diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. In the majority of cases, the proximal disease extends beyond the esophagus, involving the stomach and the duodenum too (Van...