What kinds of tests will be performed to confirm a diagnosis of Crohns disease?
A physician may suspect the presence of Crohn’s disease when a person has some or all of the following symptoms: chronic or nightly diarrhea, abdominal pain, obstruction of the bowel, weight loss, night sweats, intestinal inflammation, fibrosis, or a fistula. After a physical exam is performed on the right lower quadrant of the abdomen and determining if there is any tenderness or inflammatory masses, a number of tests may be ordered to confirm a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. These tests include blood tests, radiologic examinations (X-ray, barium enema, upper gastrointestinal and small bowel follow-through, enteroclysis, computed tomography, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging), stool tests, and endoscopic examinations (sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and upper endoscopy).
