Crohn's disease manifesting in the head and neck

Abstract

Crohn's disease may present to the head and neck surgeon with symptoms and signs attributed to the disease. Many clinical presentations, both specific and non-specific, have been recorded in the oral cavity, nose and larynx. Some of these clinical manifestations have been found to be consistent with Crohn's disease, but most have been attributed to Crohn's disease without histologic confirmation of the presence of non-caseating granulomas, which is pathognomonic of Crohn's disease. Lesions, when present without an associated diagnosis of Crohn's disease, should be ascribed the diagnosis of orofacial granulomatosis, until a diagnosis of intestinal Crohn's disease has been confirmed.