Sammanfattning
Background - Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel
disease of unkown etiology, which can occur anywhere in the
digestive system. The disease debuts most often in persons between
20-30 years of age, and slightly more frequently in women.
Crohn’s disease can cause oral manifestations in form of linear
hyperplasia, recurrent aphtous stomatitis, gingival erythema,
thickening of the buccal mucosa, and diffuse swelling of the lips,
gingiva, and buccal mucosa. Crohn’s disease cannot be cured,
but medical treatment can alleviate the inflammatory process,
however surgical treatment may be necessary in some patients.
Case study - A 22-year-old women was referred from her private
Ear-Nose-Throat doctor for the diagnosis and treatment of
a symmetric soft swelling of both cheeks and lower lip, and linear
hyperplasias in the buccal mucosa. Biopsies were made and
the histological examination revealed that the oral manifestations
were caused by Crohn’s disease.
Conclusion - Oral manifestations from Crohn’s disease can be
found in the initial phase of the disease, without any symptoms
from the gastrointestinal tract. Knowledge about oral manifestations
of Crohn’s disease is important for dentist, because it may
contribute to earlier diagnosis of the disease.