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Individualized treatment is the best way to approach inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and physicians at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, are dedicated to providing patient-centered care.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. There are two major forms of the disorder: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Crohn’s disease can affect any level of the intestinal tract from the mouth to the anus and all layers of the bowel wall. Ulcerative colitis differs from Crohn’s disease because it affects the rectum and extends to a variable extent up the colon. It mainly causes inflammation in the most superficial layer of the colon and does not affect the upper intestine. The most common symptoms of IBD include diarrhea, rectal bleeding and abdominal pain.

According to Torre Morgan, M.D., Gastroenterologist at Mount Auburn Hospital, these conditions can be caused by a multitude of factors.

“In IBD, the immune system produces an exaggerated inflammatory response,” she says. “Genes certainly play an important role. In addition, chemicals and organisms from the environment can interact with the immune system to trigger inflammation. Other factors such as smoking and diet can also influence disease expression.”

Dr. Morgan says the disease most often presents between the ages of 15 and 30, and there is an increased incidence among North Americans and Europeans, particularly those of Jewish descent. Complications from the autoimmune disease include anemia, malnutrition, bowel obstruction, infection and an increased risk of colon cancer. Extraintestinal manifestations may also develop, such as arthritis, rashes and eye conditions.

To help diagnose the disease before it progresses, Dr. Morgan urges patients to consult their physicians at the onset of symptoms. During the diagnostic process, a patient’s health history is taken and he or she will likely undergo endoscopy so physicians can better examine the intestine.

“Taking a thorough history is very important because it can help us identify IBD and differentiate it from other conditions which present similar symptoms,” says Dr. Morgan. “Endoscopy also plays an essential role because it gives us an opportunity to look directly at the intestine and take biopsies to help make a diagnosis.”

After a patient is diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, a course of treatment is decided upon. “It’s important to understand that Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are characterized by relapses and remissions,” says Dr. Morgan. “Our goal is to keep patients in remission and asymptomatic. Fortunately we have a number of medications to help us accomplish this goal.”

Anti-inflammatory medications are most often used to treat the disease and if a patient is unresponsive to medication, surgery may be an option. Although diet does not play a big role in the treatment of IBD for most patients, Dr. Morgan recommends a balanced diet rich in nutrients.

A recent advancement in the research of inflammatory bowel disease gives physicians and patients new hope for a future cure to the condition. A gene called NOD2 was recently found on the human chromosome 16 and appears to be linked with Crohn’s disease. “In the future, testing for the gene may help us identify individuals who are susceptible to inflammatory bowel disease and contribute to the development of new treatments,” says Dr. Morgan.

At Mount Auburn Hospital, physicians remain committed to individualizing treatment IBD. “Each patient with IBD is unique with respect to their symptoms, how their illness impacts daily life, and the types of treatments that are appropriate and acceptable to them,” says Dr. Morgan. “At Mount Auburn Hospital, we appreciate these differences and work to develop long term treatment plans that make sense for each patient. Individualized, compassionate care is just one of the things we do best.”

For a free Mount Auburn Hospital physician directory, please call us at 617-499-5094.