Pulmonary manifestations of Crohn’s disease

Abstract

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a systemic illness with a constellation of extraintestinal manifestations affecting various organs. Of these extraintestinal manifestations of CD, those involving the lung are relatively rare. However, there is a wide array of lung manifestations, ranging from subclinical alterations, airway diseases and lung parenchymal diseases to pleural diseases and drug-related diseases. The most frequent manifestation is bronchial inflammation and suppuration with or without bronchiectasis. Bronchoalveolar lavage findings show an increased percentage of neutrophils. Drug-related pulmonary abnormalities include disorders which are directly induced by sulfasalazine, mesalamine and methotrexate, and opportunistic lung infections due to immunosuppressive treatment. In most patients, the development of pulmonary disease parallels that of intestinal disease activity. Although infrequent, clinicians dealing with CD must be aware of these, sometimes life-threatening, conditions to avoid further impairment of health status and to alleviate patient symptoms by prompt recognition and treatment. The treatment of CD-related respiratory disorders depends on the specific pattern of involvement, and in most patients, steroids are required in the initial management.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Inflammatory bowel disease; Lung; Extracolonic involvement

Core tip: The clinicopathological patterns of pulmonary involvement consist of subclinical alterations, airway diseases, lung parenchymal diseases, pleural diseases and drug-related diseases in Crohn’s disease (CD). The treatment of CD-related respiratory disorders depends on the specific pattern of involvement, and in most patients, steroids are required in the initial management. This review focuses on the pulmonary manifestations of CD in an attempt to avoid further impairment of health status and to alleviate patient symptoms by prompt recognition and treatment.