darmzweer

A darmzweer, or intestinal ulcer, is a loss of the mucosal lining in a segment of the small or large intestine. Ulcers vary in size and depth and may extend beyond the mucosa.

These ulcers can occur anywhere in the digestive tract but are most common in the small intestine and colon. They arise from inflammatory bowel disease, ischemia, infection, radiation, or medication-related injury.

Major causes include Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, ischemic injury from reduced blood flow, infections (bacterial, viral, parasitic), NSAID use, diverticular disease, and tumor-related ulceration.

Symptoms depend on location and cause and often include abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, blood in stool, weight loss, and fever. Complications may include perforation, abscess, bleeding, or bowel obstruction from strictures.

Diagnosis combines endoscopy with biopsy (colonoscopy or enteroscopy) and imaging (CT or MR enterography). Capsule endoscopy can assess the small bowel. Laboratory tests aid in identifying inflammation, infection, or disease activity.

Treatment targets the underlying cause and may involve avoiding NSAIDs, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants or biologics for inflammatory bowel disease, antibiotics for infections, management of ischemia, and, when needed, surgical intervention for complications.

Prognosis varies with cause; healing is possible, but recurrences are common in Crohn's disease. Early diagnosis and management aim to prevent perforation, bleeding, and strictures.