The 5 Types of Crohn’s Disease: What You Should Know

What is Crohn’s Disease? 

Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that can also involve other parts of the body (such as the skin, joints,and eyes). It can cause inflammation anywhere along the digestive tract, often leading to symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, diarrhea, and unintended weight loss.  

The disease can occur at any age, but most people with Crohn’s disease get their diagnosis in adolescence or between the ages of 20 and 30. 

When gastroenterologist Dr. Sobia Mujtaba, an assistant professor at Emory University, explains the disease to her patients, she notes that “Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disease. It is treatable, but we do not yet have a cure. These two points help to set up expectations because it is important for patients to accept that the disease will require lifelong therapy in some form or another.” 

The good news is that there are promising developments in treatment and disease management. Dr. Mujtaba said, “There has been wonderful progress during the last few years in the therapeutic options we are able to offer patients, and there are many exciting new therapies in the pipeline to help our patients achieve remission and enjoy a good quality of life.” 

How do Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis Differ? 

Crohn’s disease is one of the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The other is ulcerative colitis.  

The main difference between the involvement of the gut in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is that while ulcerative colitis causes inflammation only in the colon, Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Ulcerative colitis starts at the end portion of the colon (rectum) and involves the rest of the colon to varying extents. In contrast, patients with Crohn’s disease may have patches of inflamed areas in the colon mixed closely together with healthy tissue, and may have involvement of other areas of the gut, such as the esophagus, stomach, and the small bowel. 

What are the Five Types of Crohn’s Disease? 

While you may be able to guess your type based on your symptoms, these symptoms may be at odds with the scope of the actual disease, and the only way to know for sure is to have diagnostic tests such as a colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, imaging scans, and stool or blood tests. 

One of the ways to classify Crohn’s disease is by the area of the gut that is involved, i.e., disease location. When it comes to managing Crohn’s symptoms and treating the disease, understanding your specific disease type is important. It empowers you to: 

• Tailor a treatment plan to your specific condition. 
• Predict complications more accurately. 
• Guide dietary and lifestyle changes. 
• Monitor disease progression with appropriate tests. 

Dr. Mujtaba encourages patients and their family members to ask as many questions as they want during conversations about their diagnosis and disease. People living with IBD should be “empowered to participate in their care.” 

The five types of Crohn’s disease include: 

• Ileocolitis 
• Ileitis 
• Gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease 
• Jejunoileitis 
• Crohn’s colitis 

Symptoms of Crohn’s disease may vary depending on where the diseased tissue is in your GI tract.  

Ileocolitis 

Ileocolitis is the most common form of Crohn’s disease, affecting about half of all people diagnosed with Crohn’s. It involves the end of the small intestine (terminal ileum) and the large intestine (colon). 

Common symptoms of ileocolitis include: 

• Abdominal cramping 
• Diarrhea 
• Pain in the middle or lower right abdominal area 
• Significant weight loss 

Ileitis 

This type of Crohn’s affects the last portion of the small bowel (ileum) and is seen in a third of patients with small bowel disease. The ileum absorbs bile salts and vitamin B12, so people with ileitis often face issues like dehydration, diarrhea, and vitamin B12 deficiency. 

Common symptoms of ileitis include: 

• Abdominal cramping 
• Diarrhea 
• Pain in the lower right abdominal area 
• Weight loss 

Gastroduodenal Crohn’s disease 

This type of Crohn’s affects the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine (duodenum) and affects 5-15% of patients. 

Common symptoms of gastroduodenal Crohn’s include: 

• Appetite loss 
• Nausea 
• Vomiting 
• Weight loss 

Jejunoileitis 

80% of patients with Crohn’s disease have small bowel involvement. Jejunoileitis causes inflammation in the upper half of the small intestine (jejunum) and the last portion of the small bowel (ileum). 

Common symptoms of jejunoileitis may include: 

• Mild to intense abdominal pain and cramps after eating 
• Diarrhea 

Crohn’s Colitis 

About 20% of people with Crohn’s have disease limited to only the colon. 

Common symptoms include: 

• Diarrhea 
• Frequent bowel movements or the urge to have a bowel movement, even if there’s nothing to pass 
• Rectal bleeding 
• Disease around the anus (such as abscesses, fistulas, and ulcers) 

About one-third of people with Crohn’s disease also have perianal disease. These people are more likely to have cooccurring disease in their colon rather than in their small intestine. 

Over time, depending on the behavior of the Crohn’s disease, patients may develop complications such as abscesses, strictures (narrowings), and abnormal connections (fistulas) involving any part of the gut. 

Resources for Managing Your Crohn’s Symptoms 

Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been managing Crohn’s for a long time, understanding your specific type empowers you to take a more active role in your health, stay ahead of symptoms, and—with your care team’s help—adjust your treatment as needed.  

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation offers extensive resources to support people at every stage of their journey with Crohn’s disease including: 

• Guide to Crohn’s disease signs and symptoms—And how to manage them 
• MyIBD Learning (online and in-person education programs) 
• IBD Support Groups 
• IBD Medication Guide 

You can also get your questions answered through our IBD Help Center. Information specialists are available Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm ET, by phone, email, or chat.