ileitis

/il'ee uy"tis/, n. Pathol.

inflammation of the ileum.

[1850-55; ILE- + -ITIS]

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Chronic inflammation of part of the small intestine or large intestine (strictly, of the ileum).

A more serious type, regional ileitis (Crohn disease), involves both small and large intestines. Ileitis symptoms include chronic or intermittent, sometimes bloody, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Fever, weight loss, and anemia may occur. Crohn disease may involve progressive deterioration. Obstructions or abnormal connections between loops of intestine may develop. Simple ileitis has short-term causes, and many patients recover completely. In Crohn disease, which may result from an autoimmune defect, remissions and relapses continue for years, causing the intestine's wall to thicken, its channel to narrow, and its lining to ulcerate. X-ray films or colonoscopy showing these features are diagnostic. Drug treatment may help, but there is no known cure, and the disease often requires removal of part of the intestine.

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▪ pathology

      chronic inflammation of one or more sections of the intestine. In its strict sense, the term refers to an inflammation of the lower, or terminal, portion of the small intestine, known as the ileum. A specific and more serious type of inflammation involving both the small and large intestines (large intestine) is known as regional ileitis, or Crohn disease.

      In general, ileitis can affect persons of both sexes and of all ages; however, the disease most commonly strikes those between age 20 and 50. The symptoms are extremely variable but basically consist of a chronic or intermittent diarrhea, sometimes bloody, that is accompanied by painful abdominal cramps. Fever, weakness, weight loss, and anemia may also occur and can produce a progressive physical deterioration in patients with Crohn disease. Obstructions or fistulas (abnormal channels) between adjacent loops of intestine may also develop. The initial acute attack of ileitis may be so sudden that it is confused with appendicitis. A patient may completely recover from an initial attack of simple ileitis, but the usual course of Crohn disease is one of gradual progression, with periods of remission and relapse continuing for many years.

      Crohn disease results in thickening of the intestine, narrowing of its channel, and ulceration of its lining. Diagnosis of the disease is established through X-ray examination of the small (and perhaps large) intestine, in which the narrowing and ulceration is evident. A colonoscopy may also be performed to examine the large intestine. Simple ileitis can be caused by intestinal infections, irritations, or obstructions. Crohn disease is most likely due to abnormalities in the immune system. Several drugs are effective in treatment of Crohn disease, but many patients will require surgery either to correct complications such as obstruction or fistulas or to relieve symptoms that do not respond to medical treatment.

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