Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Colitis?SymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Colitis?

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

Sometimes calledgranulomatouscolitis, this condition accounts for about 30% of all Crohn’s cases.You can have Crohn’s colitis only or more than one type of Crohn’s at the same time. Despite having a similar name, this condition is not the same as ulcerative colitis.

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Doctor operate colonoscopy device to help diagnose Crohn’s Colitis disease

Understanding Colitis

“Colitis” is a general term that means inflammation in the large intestine—the tubular organ that connects your small intestine to your anus.

Crohn’s diseaseis just one possible cause of colitis. Some causes have nothing to do with IBD.

Some of these forms of colitis are acute, meaning they come on suddenly. Infectious colitis often improves with treatment.

Crohn’s Colitis vs. Ulcerative Colitis

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two main types of IBD. Both can cause colitis.

However, Crohn’s colitis and ulcerative colitis aredistinct conditions, and their differences matter when it comes to diagnosis and treatment.

Crohn’s ColitisPockets of inflammation between areas of healthy tissueCobblestone-like appearance of intestinesInflammation is deep in the colonFistulas are commonOccurs more often in femalesComplications may include intestinal blockage, abscesses, and soresUlcerative ColitisInflammation is continuous (no healthy tissue)No cobblestone-like appearance of intestinesInflammation is in the shallow layersFistulas don’t occurSimilar occurrence in males and femalesComplications may include intestinal bleeding and rupture.

Crohn’s ColitisPockets of inflammation between areas of healthy tissueCobblestone-like appearance of intestinesInflammation is deep in the colonFistulas are commonOccurs more often in femalesComplications may include intestinal blockage, abscesses, and sores

Pockets of inflammation between areas of healthy tissue

Cobblestone-like appearance of intestines

Inflammation is deep in the colon

Fistulas are common

Occurs more often in females

Complications may include intestinal blockage, abscesses, and sores

Ulcerative ColitisInflammation is continuous (no healthy tissue)No cobblestone-like appearance of intestinesInflammation is in the shallow layersFistulas don’t occurSimilar occurrence in males and femalesComplications may include intestinal bleeding and rupture.

Inflammation is continuous (no healthy tissue)

No cobblestone-like appearance of intestines

Inflammation is in the shallow layers

Fistulas don’t occur

Similar occurrence in males and females

Complications may include intestinal bleeding and rupture.

The most common symptoms of Crohn’s colitis include:

An abscess, or pocket of pus in the colon, can also occur. This can cause:

A fistula is an abnormal passage between two tube-like organs or between a tube-like organ and the outside of the body. With Crohn’s colitis, a fistula can form between the bowel and the bladder, vagina, skin, or another part of the bowel.

Symptoms of fistulas include:

Some of these symptoms commonly occur with other conditions, so they may not immediately be recognized as being due to Crohn’s colitis.

Crohn’s diseaseis considered autoimmune, meaning it is part of a group of disorders in which the immune system mistakenly identifies a healthy cell, tissue, or substance in your body as dangerous. It then creates specialized cells called antibodies to attack and destroy it.

Researchers don’t yet understand why autoimmune diseases develop. Experts believe a combination of genetics and environmental factors lead to Crohn’s colitis and other forms of Crohn’s disease. These factors include:

Crohn’s colitis is most common in North America, Western Europe, and in people with Eastern European backgrounds. Rates are increasing among Black people in the U.S., as well as in Asian and South American countries.

It can be difficult to tell Crohn’s colitis from ulcerative colitis and other similar conditions. Healthcare providers perform a physical exam plus a range of tests, including:

Being diagnosed with Crohn’s colitis doesn’t mean Crohn’s willneveraffect the small intestine or other areas of your digestive tract. It just means it’s not present there right now.

Changes in Your Diagnosis

If the disease goes on to affect other parts of the digestive tract, then your diagnosis will change.

For example, if it’s discovered that theileum (small intestine)is involved in addition to the colon, you will be diagnosed withileocolitis—one of the four other forms of Crohn’s.

If other areas are affected, you may be diagnosed with Crohn’s colitis and an additional type, such as:

If Crohn’s affects many regions throughout the digestive tract, it might not neatly fall into one of the classifications.

Identifying Crohn’s colitis helps guidemedical and surgical management.Diet also plays an important role in reducing flares.

Medications

Medications used for Crohn’s include:

Diet

Dietis an important part of managing Crohn’s colitis. However, no single diet works for everyone. You may need to eat or limit a variety of foods to figure out what’s best for you.

Still, some practices are often helpful and provide a place to start, such as:

You may want to use a food journal to help figure out what foods do or don’t bother you. Certain foods that may trigger Crohn’s disease include:

Other foods, such as fish, potatoes, cooked squash, oatmeal, and rice tend to be well tolerated.

If you need to avoid some healthy foods, you may need to take nutritional supplements. Your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian can help you determine which nutrients may be lacking in your diet.

Surgery for Complications

In some cases, surgery may be needed because of complications such as:

Summary

Crohn’s colitis is a form of Crohn’s disease that specifically causes inflammation in the large intestine. It leads to diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, and weight loss, and may cause complications such as abscesses and fistulae.

It is diagnosed with a colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, other scans, and blood and stool tests. But if Crohn’s begins to affect areas in the digestive tract beyond the colon, that diagnosis will change. Treatment includes diet, medications, and when necessary, surgery to treat complications.

11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merck Manual Professional Version.Crohn disease.Medline Plus.Crohn’s disease.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Abscess drainage.University of California Los Angeles: UCLA Health.Fistulas.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Causes of Crohn’s disease.Feuerstein JD, Cheifetz AS.Crohn disease: Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92(7):1088-1103. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.04.010National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.Cheifetz AS.Management of active Crohn disease.JAMA. 2013;309(20):2150–2158. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4466Zenlea T, Peppercorn MA.Immunosuppressive therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(12):3146-52. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i12.3146Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.What should I eat?Crohn’s & Colitis UK.Surgery for Crohn’s disease.Additional ReadingTontini GE, Vecchi M, Pastorelli L, Neurath MF, Neumann H.Differential diagnosis in inflammatory bowel disease colitis: state of the art and future perspectives.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(1):21–46. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.21

11 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merck Manual Professional Version.Crohn disease.Medline Plus.Crohn’s disease.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Abscess drainage.University of California Los Angeles: UCLA Health.Fistulas.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Causes of Crohn’s disease.Feuerstein JD, Cheifetz AS.Crohn disease: Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92(7):1088-1103. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.04.010National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.Cheifetz AS.Management of active Crohn disease.JAMA. 2013;309(20):2150–2158. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4466Zenlea T, Peppercorn MA.Immunosuppressive therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(12):3146-52. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i12.3146Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.What should I eat?Crohn’s & Colitis UK.Surgery for Crohn’s disease.Additional ReadingTontini GE, Vecchi M, Pastorelli L, Neurath MF, Neumann H.Differential diagnosis in inflammatory bowel disease colitis: state of the art and future perspectives.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(1):21–46. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.21

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Merck Manual Professional Version.Crohn disease.Medline Plus.Crohn’s disease.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Abscess drainage.University of California Los Angeles: UCLA Health.Fistulas.Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Causes of Crohn’s disease.Feuerstein JD, Cheifetz AS.Crohn disease: Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92(7):1088-1103. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.04.010National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.Cheifetz AS.Management of active Crohn disease.JAMA. 2013;309(20):2150–2158. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4466Zenlea T, Peppercorn MA.Immunosuppressive therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(12):3146-52. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i12.3146Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.What should I eat?Crohn’s & Colitis UK.Surgery for Crohn’s disease.

Merck Manual Professional Version.Crohn disease.

Medline Plus.Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Abscess drainage.

University of California Los Angeles: UCLA Health.Fistulas.

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.Causes of Crohn’s disease.

Feuerstein JD, Cheifetz AS.Crohn disease: Epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.Mayo Clin Proc. 2017;92(7):1088-1103. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.04.010

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.

Cheifetz AS.Management of active Crohn disease.JAMA. 2013;309(20):2150–2158. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4466

Zenlea T, Peppercorn MA.Immunosuppressive therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(12):3146-52. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i12.3146

Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.What should I eat?

Crohn’s & Colitis UK.Surgery for Crohn’s disease.

Tontini GE, Vecchi M, Pastorelli L, Neurath MF, Neumann H.Differential diagnosis in inflammatory bowel disease colitis: state of the art and future perspectives.World J Gastroenterol. 2015;21(1):21–46. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i1.21

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