general
Last reviewed 11/2020
Common complications include:
- weight loss
- anaemia
- arthritis - large joints
- erythema nodosum
- ocular problems - conjunctivitis, episcleritis, iritis
- sacroiliitis - this is unrelated to HLA B27
- gall stones, especially of the cholesterol type
Less common:
- liver complications - primary sclerosing cholangitis, fatty liver, non-specific hepatitis, pericholangitis.
- ankylosing spondylitis - related to HLA B27
- pyoderma gangrenosum
- carcinoma of the bile ducts and primary sclerosing cholangitis - much less common than in ulcerative colitis
- renal complications - ureteric stricture, stones, right hydronephrosis, nephropathy (oxalate, amyloid).
- nutritional deficiency - osteomalacia, weakness (potassium, magnesium, vitamin D), lassitude (vitamin B12, folate, iron), rashes (zinc, niacin), alteration of taste (zinc).
- systemic amyloidosis - more common in Crohn's than UC
- reduced fertility
Reference:
- Jewell, D. Crohn's disease. Medicine International 1994;22:8: 321-6.