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| What is Crohn's Disease?
Definition> Symptoms> Diagnosis What is Crohn's? Diagnosis Crohn's diagnosis may be difficult and require multiple tests to aid the doctor in confirming the disease in a patient. One such test is a radiological test involving Barium Sulfate. A patient must ingest Barium Sulfate mixed with a liquid while a technician follows the liquid with a X-ray machine as it travels through the digestive system. The technician may be able to detect inflammation or narrow bowels if present in a patient. Blood tests may be useful in determining if inflammation is present in the body or to test for vitamin deficiencies that often occur in Crohn's sufferers. Nuclear scans in which white blood cells are removed from a patient, marked with a radioisotope, and then injected into a patient may be helpful in determining if inflammation is present in the body, as the white blood cells will accumulate at the area of inflammation. The most effective test for diagnosing Crohn's disease is a colonoscopy. During the colonoscopy a doctor can visually confirm inflammation. At the site of inflammation, the gastroenterologist will take a biopsy of inflamed tissue and send to a lab. The lab technician will then confirm with a microscope if the inflamed cells are consistent with Crohn's disease. It is important to note that no test for Crohn's disease is remarkably reliable making Crohn's diagnosis difficult. |
| created April 1, 2011 last updated January 1, 2012 |
