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What is ESR in Crohn's Disease?

Crohn's disease results in inflammation within the digestive tract, usually in the small intestine although it can also damage the large intestine and, less commonly, the stomach or esophagus. The condition can range in severity, but usually causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, difficult digestion and weight loss.

  1. ESR Defined

    • ESR stands for the erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Erythrocytes are red blood cells. Checking the rate of the cell sedimentation provides a marker to indicate the presence of Crohn's disease.

    Testing Process

    • The ESR test is performed on a small sample of the patient's blood. The process is not lengthy or painful.

    ESR Results

    • The blood drawn for the ESR test is studied to see how quickly it divides into red blood cells versus plasma. The plasma moves to the top while the red blood cells move to the bottom of the test tube. The red blood cells in Crohn's disease display an increased sedimentation time.

    Tests Combined with ESR

    • ESR alone cannot always identify Crohn's disease, so other tests must be ordered by the physician. The blood sample can also be checked for white blood cells. An elevation in the white blood cell count indicates that inflammation exists and, combined with the increased ESR, makes the possibility of Crohn's disease stronger. Anemia in a low red blood count can also indicate other symptoms of Crohn's disease, such as internal bleeding in the digestive track or a problem absorbing iron through the digestive track. Beyond blood tests such as ESR, other testing for Crohn's disease includes X-rays, stool cultures, colonoscopy or endoscopy.

    Importance of ESR Testing

    • Crohn's disease can be difficult to diagnose. The ESR test, combined with other tests, helps make a clear diagnosis. The earlier that Crohn's disease is defined as the cause of the patient's problems, the earlier medical personnel can provide the proper treatment and aid the patient in dealing with the nutritional and lifestyle needs.

    ESR Significance

    • Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis have many of the same symptoms. They are often lumped together in the generic term as inflammatory bowel disease. But they do differ. A study by Mount Sinai Medical Center's Gastroenterology Division tested the theory that ESR provided a good correlation to discovering inflammation in the colon. It tested patients with Crohn's disease of the colon as opposed to patients with disease in the small bowel. A direct correlation was found for the Crohn's disease in the colon. It did not apply to patients with small bowel disease, ileitis.

    ESR Limitations

    • As noted, ESR alone is not indicative of Crohn's disease. In addition, for patients already diagnosed, the ESR test could not predict the course of the disease, either for relapse or remission.

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