Crohn's disease

noun \ ˈkrōnz- \

variants: or less commonly Crohn disease play \ˈkrōn-\ or Crohn's

Definition of Crohn's disease

: chronic inflammation that typically involves the lower portion of the ileum, often spreads to the colon, and is characterized by diarrhea, cramping, loss of appetite and weight, and the development of abscesses and scarring — see inflammatory bowel disease

Origin and Etymology of crohn's disease

Burrill B. Crohn †1983 American physician

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1935

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

Crohn's disease

noun \ ˈkrōnz- \

variants: also Crohn disease play \ˈkrōn-\

medical Definition of Crohn's disease

: chronic ileitis that typically involves the distal portion of the ileum, often spreads to the colon, and is characterized by diarrhea, cramping, and loss of appetite and weight with local abscesses and scarring — called also regional enteritis, regional ileitis

Biographical Note for crohn's disease

Crohn, Burrill Bernard (1884–1983), American physician. Crohn spent his career studying diseases of the intestines. In 1932 he published an article on regional ileitis. Since then that disease has also been known as Crohn's disease.