Ultrastructural changes in the nerve elements in Crohn's disease

Electron microscopic investigations were carried out to study the nerve elements in the wall of the small intestine in Crohn's disease, comparing it with the control. In the ileum of Crohn's disease only a few synapses were found. The number of nerve terminals were decreased, as well as that of the vesicle population in the remaining nerve terminals. Some of the nerve processes were observed in degeneration. The number of the lysosomes in the nerve cell bodies increased. Inflammatory cells as lymphocytes, plasma cells, mast cells were noted in the tola submucosa and in the mucous membrane, their number was also increased. It is suggested that the immunological effector cells and their products could be responsible for changing the neuronal elements.