Management of Abdominal Crohn's Disease

Crohn'sdisease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease characterized by relapsing and remitting episodes of inflammation that can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract. The prevalence of CD is increasing and affects a vast range of patients, encompassing adolescents to the geriatric population. Medical pharmacologic management aims to obtain steroid-free endoscopic and clinical remission. However, many patients ultimately progress to requiring surgical interventions to alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life, and prevent further disease-specific and life-threatening complications. Surgical intervention is variable based on disease phenotype and location.