Crohn's Disease Glossary of Terms

1. Irritable Bowel Disease Slideshow
2. Digestive Disease Myths Slideshow Pictures
3. Take the Tummy Trouble Quiz

Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some example...

Absorb: 1. To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine.
2....

Absorption: Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other sub...

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Albumin: The main protein in human blood and the key to regulating the osmotic pressure of...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Antibody: An immunoglobulin, a specialized immune protein, produced because of the introdu...

Antigen: A substance that the immune system perceives as being foreign or dangerous. The b...

Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.

Autoimmune: Pertaining to autoimmunity, a misdirected immune response that occurs when the...

Autoimmune disease: An illness that occurs when the body tissues are attacked by its own i...

Autoimmunity: A misdirected immune response that occurs when the immune system goes awry a...

Bacterium: The singular of bacteria.

Barium: 1. A metallic element belonging to the alkaline earths with an atomic numbe...

Barium enema: An enema using a white, chalky solution containing barium, in preparation fo...

Belly: That part of the body that contains all of the structures between the chest and t...

Belly button: The navel or umbilicus; the former site of attachment of the umbilical cord....

Bile: Bile is a yellow-green fluid that is made by the liver, stored in the gallbladder a...

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Bypass: An operation in which a new pathway is created for the transport of substances in ...

C-reactive protein: An acute-phase plasma protein whose blood concentration reflects the p...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover body organs. Ex...

Cecum: The first portion of the large bowel, which is situated in the lower-right quadrant...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Chronic illness: An illness that lasts 3 months or more.

Colectomy: An operation to remove all or part of the colon (large intestine). In a partial...

Colitis: Inflammation of the large intestine (the colon). There are many forms of coliti...

Colon: The long, coiled, tubelike organ that removes water from digested food. The remaini...

Colon cancer: A malignant tumor arising from the inner wall of the large intestine (the co...

Colonic: 1. See: Colonic (adjective). 2. See: Colonic (noun).

Colonoscopy: A procedure whereby a physician inserts a viewing tube (colonoscope) into the...

Colostomy: An artificial exit from the colon created to divert waste through a hole in the...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

Crohn's disease: A chronic inflammatory disease, primarily involving the small and large ...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Digestive system: The system of organs responsible for getting food into and out of the bo...

Duct: A walled passageway, such as a lymph duct, that carries fluid from one place to anot...

Endoscope: A lighted optical instrument that is used to get a deep look inside the body. A...

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: Abbreviated ERCP. A procedure done to diag...

Endoscopy: Examination of the inside of the body by using a lighted, flexible instrument c...

Enema: Liquid injected into the rectum. An enema may be used for therapeutic (such as to s...

ERCP: Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography, a diagnostic procedure used to exam...

Erythrocyte: A cell that contains hemoglobin and can carry oxygen to the body. Also called...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Fats: Plural of the word "fat". See the definition of fat.

Feces: The excrement discharged from the 'intestines.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Fiber: The parts of fruits and vegetables that cannot be digested. Fiber is of vital impor...

Fistula: An abnormal passageway in the body. The fistula may go from the body surface int...

Flare: 1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a fla...

Folic acid: One of the B vitamins that is a key factor in the synthesis (the making) of nu...

Gallstones: Stones that form when substances in the bile harden. Gallstones can be as smal...

Gastroenteritis: Inflammation of the stomach and the intestines. Gastroenteritis can cause...

Gastroenterology: The medical specialty devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of d...

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

Genetics: The scientific study of heredity. Genetics pertains to humans and all other orga...

Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

Ileostomy: An opening into the ileum, part of the small intestine, from the outside of the...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune response: Any reaction by the immune system. For example, poison ivy can cause an i...

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunosuppressant: An agent that can suppress or prevent the immune response. Immunosuppre...

Immunosuppressive: 1. Pertaining to immunosuppression, the suppression of the immun...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Indication: 1. In medicine, a condition which makes a particular treatment or proce...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Inflammatory bowel disease: A group of chronic intestinal diseases characterized by infla...

Interleukins: Substances used in biological therapy. Interleukins stimulate the growth and...

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

Intestinal obstruction: Blockage of the intestine by infolding (intussusception), malform...

Intestine: The long, tubelike organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Lactose: The sugar found in milk. Lactose is a large sugar molecule that is made up of two...

Large intestine: Comes after the small intestine. Large because it is wider than the smal...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Lumen: A luminous term referring to the channel within a tube such as a blood vessel or to...

Malabsorption: Poor intestinal absorption of nutrients. Malabsorption can occur from disea...

Malnutrition: A term used to refer to any condition in which the body does not receive eno...

Marker: A piece of DNA that lies on a chromosome so close to a gene that the marker and t...

Microscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects....

Monoclonal: Derived from a single cell and cells identical to that cell.

Monoclonal antibody: An antibody produced by a single clone of cells. A monoclonal antibod...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Mucosa: Having to do with a mucous membrane. For example, the oral mucosa.

Mucus: A thick fluid that is produced by the lining of some organs of the body.

Nasogastric: Referring to the passage from the nose to the stomach. Abbreviated NG.

Nasogastric tube: A tube that is passed through the nose and down through the nasopharynx ...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Necrosis: The death of living cells or tissues. Necrosis can be due, for example, to ische...

NG tube: See: Nasogastric tube.

NIH: National Institutes of Health.

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Nutrition: 1) The science or practice of taking in and utilizing foods. 2) A nourishing ...

Obstruction: Blockage of a passageway. See, for example: Airway obstruction; Intestinal o...

Operation: In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. The...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Ostomy: An operation to create an opening from an area inside the body to the outside.

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pancreas: A spongy, tube-shaped organ that is about 6 inches long and is located in the ba...

Parenteral: Not delivered via the intestinal tract. For example, parenteral nutrition is f...

Parenteral nutrition: Intravenous feeding. Also known as parenteral alimentation.

Pathologist: A physician who identifies diseases and conditions by studying abnormal cells...

Pediatric: Pertaining to children.

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Prevalence: The proportion of individuals in a population having a disease or characterist...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Pus: A thick, whitish-yellow fluid that results from the accumulation of white blood cells...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Rectum: The last 6 to 8 inches of the large intestine. The rectum stores solid waste until...

Recurrence: The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. The reappearance ...

Regional enteritis: Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine prima...

Relapse: The return of signs and symptoms of a disease after a remission.

Remission: Disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer or other disease. A remission...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Sedimentation rate: A blood test that detects and monitors inflammation in the body. Abbre...

Short bowel syndrome: A condition due to loss of half or more of their small intestine rem...

Small bowel: Another name for the small intestine.

Small intestine: The part of the digestive tract that extends from the stomach to the larg...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Stoma: An opening into the body from the outside that is created by a surgeon.

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Stool: The solid matter that is discharged in a bowel movement.

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Terminal ileitis: Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine involvi...

Tetracycline: A family of broad-spectrum antibiotics effective against a remarkably wide v...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Total parenteral nutrition: Intravenous feeding that provides patients with all the fluid ...

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

Tumor necrosis factor: One of multiple proteins capable of inducing necrosis (death) of tu...

Ulcer: A lesion that is eroding away the skin or mucous membrane. Ulcers can have various ...

Ulceration: The process or fact of being eroded away, as by an ulcer.

Ulcerative colitis: A bowel disease that is characterized by inflammation with ulcer forma...

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Upper GI series: A series of x-rays of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine (upper ...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce, store, and discharge urine. These orga...

Vagina: The muscular canal that extends from the cervix to the outside of the body. It is ...

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Vitamins: The word "vitamin" was coined in 1911 by the Warsaw-born biochemist Casimir Funk...

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...

Youth: The time between childhood and maturity.