Crohn's is not a 6-week disease: lifelong management of mild to moderate Crohn's disease.
Crohn's disease is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory disorder of the digestive tract with heterogeneous clinical presentations. Crohn's is currently not a curable disease, and patients are faced with a lifetime of recurrent disease flare-ups and remissions. Management strategies for Crohn's must therefore be targeted toward lifelong management, taking into consideration not only the short-term but also the long-term aspects of the disease. With this in mind, here we review the classifications and natural history of Crohn's disease and discuss possible predictive factors for the disease evolution in a patient. Here we also evaluate the current preferable treatment practices, based on scientifically valid research and collective clinical experience, for the management of mild to moderate Crohn's disease.
Lichtenstein
Gary R
GR
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA. grl@mail.med.upenn.edu
Hanauer
Stephen B
SB
Kane
Sunanda V
SV
Present
Daniel H
DH
D000465:Algorithms; D000636:Aminosalicylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019819:Budesonide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000145:classification / Q000628:therapy*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000636:Aminosalicylic Acids; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019819:Budesonide