This condition is most commonly seen in middle-aged women, but can be present in women and men of all ages. The absence of rectal bleeding and visible inflammation helps the physician in distinguishing microscopic colitis from ulcerative colitis. The major symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal pain, diarrhea, low-grade fever, and weight loss. Rectal bleeding is not as common as in ulcerative colitis, and occurs predominantly in patients with Crohn's disease of the colon. Many other diseases are characterized by similar pain.
Acute appendicitis is the most common and most dangerous diagnosis.
The physician will request a CT scan or ultrasound. If the clinical picture remains unclear, surgical exploration may be necessary. Infections, such as tuberculosis and Yersinia, can affect the region of the ileum and cecum and thus need to be considered among the diagnostic possibilities. In IBS, blood and stool tests, x-rays, endoscopy and biopsies all give normal results. Colonoscopy with biopsies and other laboratory studies usually settle the issue.