The British royal family recently issued a statement stating that Princess Kate, wife of Crown Prince William, was admitted to the hospital and successfully underwent abdominal surgery.

Subsequently, British media reported that Princess Kate may be suffering from Crohn's Disease (CD).

　　This "disease of wealth" that makes people slim and thin also has a terrible nickname - "immortal cancer".

What kind of disease is this?

The author interviewed Chen Ning, deputy director and chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology at Peking University People's Hospital, who has been committed to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

　　A disease that affects the entire digestive tract

　　Why did you choose such a name?

It originated in 1932, when a doctor named Crohn published a series of scientific research on "crohn's disease" and named the disease Crohn, which caused great repercussions in the academic community.

Since then, this disease has come into people’s sight.

　　Before understanding Crohn’s disease, let’s first understand inflammatory bowel disease.

This is a type of disease that causes inflammatory reactions (such as redness and edema of the intestinal mucosa) in whole or in part of the intestine. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease both fall into this category.

Usually, people with Crohn's disease will have systemic manifestations including abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, fever and fatigue, and may be accompanied by extraintestinal damage to joints, skin, eyes, oral mucosa, etc., and may also suffer from perianal Local symptoms such as abscesses or fistulas.

Simply put, this disease affects the entire digestive tract, from the mouth, esophagus, stomach, to the small intestine, large intestine, and perianal area.

　　Crohn's disease, Crohn's disease, Crohn's disease or granulomatous enteritis due to long-term chronic, recurring intestinal inflammation.

It can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract but is most common in the terminal ileum and right colon.

　　It is not the same as ordinary diarrhea

　　Isn't it just a bad gastrointestinal condition and diarrhea?

How is Crohn's disease different from common intestinal infections?

It's definitely different.

They are all different in terms of causes, symptoms, and treatments.

　　The early symptoms of Crohn's disease are indeed very similar to those of intestinal infections, but intestinal infections are caused by a certain pathogen and can be cured quickly with symptomatic treatment targeting the pathogen.

Crohn's disease is a chronic, progressive disease whose exact cause is not yet fully understood. Symptoms can recur and treatment is relatively complex. It may require the use of immunosuppressants, antibiotics and other drugs, as well as nutritional support and surgical treatment. .

Treatment and prevention strategies need to be treated differently.

　　The symptoms of Crohn's disease are varied and complex and share many similarities with other intestinal diseases, making it prone to misdiagnosis.

The Department of Gastroenterology at Peking University People's Hospital has a professional team that has been engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease for 30 years, as well as a multidisciplinary MDT diagnosis and treatment collaboration team, which can accurately identify Crohn's disease.

　　This "disease of wealth" prefers young people

　　Crohn's disease prefers young people, especially white-collar youth.

"Judging from clinical incidence data, Crohn's disease has a relatively early onset age, with the average age of patients being 15-25 years old, and the prevalence of men and women is similar." Chief Physician Chen Ning said that from a historical perspective, this disease The incidence rate varies around the world. It is more common in Western developed countries and regions, and the first onset of the disease is more likely to occur in younger people.

　　However, in the past 20 years, with the continuous improvement of economic development and living standards, multiple data show that the incidence of Crohn's disease in my country has been on a rapid upward trend, and the incidence of Crohn's disease in wealthy areas, cities, and white-collar workers is relatively high in poor and remote areas. Regions and manual workers are higher.

Among them, Westernized diets such as fast food and hamburgers, smoking and bad lifestyle have very obvious harm to the condition of Crohn's disease.

　　In addition to such factors, the onset of Crohn's disease is also affected by the interaction between multiple factors, such as heredity, environment, genes, and low immune response, which makes it easy to relapse, requires a long treatment period, and is relatively expensive. It has a significant impact on the patient's life and economic status, so it is also called "affluenza's disease".

　　It’s not that I have no appetite, it’s that I don’t absorb it.

　　People with Crohn's disease have an enviable slim figure.

It’s not that they don’t want to eat or can’t eat, but that they have too many taboos.

　　Crohn's disease causes damage to the entire digestive tract. Although patients can eat food, due to intestinal inflammation and damage, the digestion and absorption function of food is greatly reduced, eventually leading to malnutrition.

Children in the growth and development period may also appear short in stature.

　　This requires patients to pay special attention to dietary choices and intake patterns, and need to follow a specific eating plan, also known as the Crohn's disease diet - high-nutrient, low-residue, easy-to-digest foods to help control symptoms, Reduce intestinal burden, promote intestinal healing, and maintain the body's nutritional needs.

　　When formulating a diet plan, it is best to consult a professional doctor or nutritionist for advice to ensure that the diet is reasonable and safe.

It is usually recommended to choose foods that are delicate, soft, easy to chew and digest, such as thin noodles, porridge, soft bread, etc. You also need to choose foods rich in protein, such as fish, eggs, tofu, etc., to provide the nutrients your body needs.

　　Special reminder: Try to avoid rough or foods containing a lot of fiber that may increase intestinal burden, such as whole grains, nuts, celery, etc.

You also need to avoid foods that may irritate the intestines or aggravate inflammation, including high-fat foods, spicy foods, caffeinated drinks, carbonated drinks, etc.

　　Can surgery save 'immortal cancer'?

　　The damage caused by Crohn's disease to the intestinal tract develops from shallow to deep, from small to large. From thrush ulcers in the early stage of the disease, it gradually affects the entire thickness of the intestinal wall, causing the intestinal wall to thicken and harden, and the intestinal lumen to narrow; Ulcer perforation causes local abscesses or penetrates into other intestinal segments, organs, and abdominal walls to form internal or external fistulas; while leakage of serosal cellulose from the intestinal wall and chronic intestinal perforation can lead to intestinal adhesions and intestinal obstruction.

In severe cases, surgical treatment such as resection of diseased intestinal segments and stoma is required.

Due to its recurring course, Crohn's disease is also known as the "immortal cancer."

　　According to the news, Princess Kate has successfully completed abdominal surgery.

So, can surgery completely save Crohn’s disease?

Experts emphasize that surgical treatment is also a "double-edged sword" and patients require long-term medication and continuous treatment.

Once the drug is withdrawn or discontinued without authorization, inflammation may break out again, leading to serious adverse consequences such as colon perforation, fistula formation, abdominal abscess, intestinal obstruction complications, etc.

　　It should be noted that the treatment of Crohn's disease requires comprehensive consideration of the patient's condition, age, physical condition and other aspects to formulate a personalized treatment plan.

At the same time, patients also need to actively cooperate with doctors’ treatment suggestions and maintain good living habits and mentality to improve treatment effects and quality of life.

　　Can inflammatory bowel disease caused by Crohn's disease be cured if the medicine cannot be stopped?

The current answer is: No!

We can regard patients with Crohn's disease as patients with chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and diabetes, and recognize that treatment is a long-term or even lifelong process.

　　This disease may have a great impact on patients' quality of life and mental health. In clinical practice, we often see some patients who are unwilling to disclose their illness because they are worried about being discriminated against or not being understood.

Not only family members and medical staff, we call on the general public to take the initiative to care for and understand them, respect their privacy and choices, provide support and help, enhance public awareness through publicity and education, provide dietary advice and psychological support, and encourage patients to actively participate in social interactions Activities... provide emotional support, knowledge assistance and social support through these measures, allowing patients to better cope with the disease, improve quality of life, and reduce discrimination and stress.

　　Text/Zhong Yanyu (Peking University People’s Hospital)