Crohn's Disease Initially Suggested by Minute Esophageal Erosions—Report of a Case

• Published in: Digestive endoscopy Vol. 11; no. 3; pp. 255 - 258
• Main Authors: ENDO, Tetsu, SATO, Hirohiko, KOEDA, Junichi, TAKAHASHI, Osamu, HAGA, Yohichi, SATOH, Toshinobu, CHIBA, Yoichi, MATSUMOTO, Kazuhito, MUNAKATA, Akihiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 10.07.1999
• Subjects: Crohn's disease; esophagus; non‐caseating epitheloid granulomas
• ISSN: 0915-5635; 1443-1661
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1443-1661.1999.tb00013.x

: A 19–year‐old woman visited our hospital complaining of fever and epigastral‐gia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed minute discrete erosions surrounded by elevated mucosa about one millimeter in diameter in the esophagus and aphthoid erosions in the stomach. Biopsy samples obtained from the esophagus showed non‐caseating epitheloid granulomas, suggesting Crohn's disease. Colonoscopy showed a small erosion in the cecum adjacent to the vermiform appendix and biopsy showed non‐caseating epitheloid granulomas and Crohn's disease was diagnosed. In hospital, she was treated with elemental diet and 5–aminosalicyclic acid. Clinical symptoms disappeared rapidly and laboratory data became normal. We thus report a rare case of early‐stage Crohn's disease initially indicated by biopsy of minute esophageal erosions. (Dig Endosc 1999; 11: 255–258)