Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease that typically affects the digestive tract. The symptoms range from mild to severe and include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rectal bleeding, abscesses and ulcers in the gut, and anal fissures. A person may also suffer from significant weight loss as the body is unable to absorb any nutrients from the food ingested, and this leads to extreme fatigue and bone loss. It may also lead to a fever in some cases.

Crohn’s disease has no known cure, but there are treatments available to manage its symptoms and increase the quality of life of the patients.

When one visits the gastroenterologist to determine whether they have Crohn’s disease, the typical pattern of diagnosis and testing encompasses going over their medical history and running lab tests and imaging studies. This helps to diagnose the disease and which part of the digestive tract it has affected.

Diagnostic tests

Blood tests
Although blood tests alone cannot determine whether one has Crohn’s disease, they come in handy for diagnosis and monitoring of the disease.

• Routine test : This test is taken to determine inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, anemia, and deficiency of minerals and vitamins.
• Fecal test : Blood in the stools is an indicator of bleeding intestines. The doctor will provide a container to collect stool to check for blood in it to also rule out other infections in the gut.
• Antibody test : This test is done to determine whether it is Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, which is another inflammatory bowel disease that affects the large intestine. This test is not conclusive on its own.

Imaging tests
These tests help the doctor to determine the areas of inflammation in the body due to Crohn’s disease. It shows the doctor the progression and extent of the disease, and it also helps them determine the course of treatment:

• Standard X-ray : A conventional X-ray of the abdominal region shows the extent to which scarring or inflammation has taken place. It is also done to check for or rule out the other complications of Crohn’s disease.
• Contrast X-ray : This allows the doctor to see the intestine because of a thick liquid called barium. The chalky barium dye coats the bowel, and the rectum, colon, and part of the intestine show up on the X-ray.
• Computerized tomography (CT scan) : A CT scan is used to take a series of cross-sectional images of the bowel. This helps the doctor to diagnose Crohn’s disease and rule out other issues like appendicitis.
• Leukocyte scintigraphy : This scan tracks the white blood cells as they pool at the site of inflammation. It will help determine the extent of inflammation due to Crohn’s disease in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Endoscopy : This test uses a thin, flexible tube with a lighted camera to take a closer look at the gastrointestinal tract.