Balloon Enteroscopy didn't show what was expected, and found the unexpected..

[Keralin]

My doctors took me off of Entocort a little over a month ago so they could do another endoscopy to hopefully get a biopsy positive diagnosis for Crohn's based on the ulcers that showed up in a capsule study I had done in august. 100 cm into the ileum went the scope, and not a single ulcer was found. Either he missed some, or they have all healed. I feel quite a bit of pain and pressure up high, so it's possible that there are still some remaining that couldn't be reached by the retrograde approach. I'll have to discuss that with my doc at the follow-up.

An "interesting" find was marked/moderately severe erythema and erosions around the appendiceal orifice. When I had my first colonoscopy done in June, there was mild inflammation in the same region that spontaneously resolved between then and the scope I had done in October. Now it's back with a vengeance, and could quite possibly be what has been causing the nausea, vomiting, and bloody you-know-whats. I'm in a watch and wait scenario now, and back on steroids, along with daily doses of zofran. He said if my symptoms don't improve soon, I may need to consider therapeutic surgery to remove the affected section of bowel. I'm going to talk to my GP about something for pain management, because tylenol isn't even beginning to touch it.

Is involvement of this region common in Crohn's? Most of the research I've done shows it's more consistent with UC, but the fact that there was "disease" present in the ileum points to Crohn's. I'm getting frustrated with all of this contradictory crap..lol. I just want to know for sure!

Pathology results should be back by the end of the week.

 

[rollinstone]

Sorry no advice just sending support, I'm down in the dumps too

 

[littlemissh]

The appendiceal orifice is in the caecum which is at the end of the ileum/beginning of the colon so could represent terminal ileal disease, which is a very common location in crohns.

 

[Trysha]

The pathology reports will most likely throw light on the diagnosis Keralin.
we will be interested to hear further from you as to how it all turns out.
Feel better soon
Hugs and best wsihes
Trysha.

 

[Keralin]

Pathology came back "focal active colitis". The GI doc wants me off of Entocort yet again until I can be scheduled for an MRE, which probably won't be until after the new year rolls around. Fun! I already had a CT Enterography done in September, which came back negative for any significant pathology. Isn't that supposed to be more sensitive than MRI? It seems to me like they're just trying to get as much money out of me as they can...

 

[Josephine]

Erythema I have in Sigmoid colon to Splenic Felix.