Visual Diagnosis: A 17-Year-Old Girl with Crohn Disease
December 2009
in “
Pediatrics in review
”
TLDR A girl with Crohn's disease had a hairball causing bowel obstruction, which was removed, and she recovered well.
A 17-year-old girl with a history of Crohn disease (CD) presented with a 4-day history of intermittent crampy abdominal pain, nausea, and nonbloody, nonbilious vomiting. Previously diagnosed at age 15, her initial CD presentation included elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, mucosal irregularity, and chronic colon inflammation. She had responded well to oral mesalamine but had stopped the medication prior to this visit. Physical examination revealed normal vital signs, abdominal distention, tenderness, and a palpable mass in the right lower quadrant.
