Oral Crohn´s Disease

Oral problems are not unusual in Crohn´s disease. Dr M K Basu studied 100 patients with Crohn´s disease, 100 patients with ulcerous colitis and 100 normal subjects in in the beginning av the 1970´s (Basu M K, Asquith P, Thompson R a, Cooke W T. Oral manifestations of Crohn´s disease. GUT 16:149, 1975)

Oral ulcerations, like in these pictures, were present in 95 of the patients with Crohn´s disease, 2% of the patients with ulcerous colitis and 1% of the normal subjects.

Biopsies of these ulcers often reveal histological changes typical for Crohn´s disease. Labial swelling is a typical macroscopic finding.

These ulcers may cause considerable trouble, e.g. pain and eating difficulties. The oral manifestations of Crohn usualle appear when the disease othervise is active, and are treated with topical corticosteroids, or if severe, with systemic corticosteroids.

Some excellent books - if You want to know more about inflammatory bowel diseases: