Crohn`s disease is one of the two main inflammatory bowel diseases, the other being ulcerative colitis. It is defined as a transmural inflammation of the bowel involving the terminal ileum and right colon preferentially, but also the small bowel, colon, rectum and the perineal area. The main symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss often accompanied by extra digestive manifestations such as fever, aphtosis, arthralgia, erythema nodosa. Etiology is still unknown. However, Crohn`s disease is thought to be the consequence of an hyperactivated intestinal immune system resulting from the action of unknown environemental factors on genetically-determined susceptibility. Its incidence is lower in Southern countries than in Northern countries (1/100,000 to 1 /2,000) as well as its prevalence (1/4,000 to 1/700). The main drugs are salicylates, steroids, immunomodulators. Surgery is often required for treatment of bowel stenosis, abscess, internal fistula, as well as ano-perineal manifestations of the disease. Patients may require either enteral or parenteral nutrition
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