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Is it possible to modify the clinical course of Crohn's disease?

Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 5, pages 428–429 (2008)Cite this article

Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin that affects the gastrointestinal tract, is characterized by an unpredictable and erratic clinical course, with periods of remission followed by frequent relapses regardless of the treatment used to induce remission. The principal goal of therapy is to prevent complications and morbidity.

In rheumatoid arthritis, early treatment to modify disease course is the standard therapeutic strategy.1 This is not the case in Crohn's disease. Salicylates, corticosteroids and immunomodulators are generally used as first-line therapy for patients with Crohn's disease. These drugs, however, typically provide only temporary relief, and up to 74% of patients eventually require surgery—which often needs to be repeated—because of failure of medical treatment to maintain remission or complications such as stenosis or perforation. This disease course represents a major cause of morbidity and healthcare cost in Crohn's disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. S Ardizzone is Head of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit and G Bianchi Porro is Chair of Gastroenterology at L Sacco University Hospital, Milan, Italy.,

    Sandro Ardizzone & Gabriele Bianchi Porro

Authors
  1. Sandro Ardizzone
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  2. Gabriele Bianchi Porro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandro Ardizzone.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Ardizzone, S., Porro, G. Is it possible to modify the clinical course of Crohn's disease?. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 5, 428–429 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep1178

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