What is Crohn’s disease?

Crohn’s disease is a form of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in which there are patches or segments of inflammation in any portion of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. The inflammation in Crohn’s disease is most often located in the lower part of the small intestine and the upper portion of the large intestine. The inflammation of Crohn’s disease can involve all of the layers of the intestine. This inflammation can cause either narrow areas in the intestine called strictures, or tunnels through the intestine wall called fistulas, which may connect with other parts of the intestine or with the skin.