Unveiling Genital Crohn's Disease: Clinical Complications, Diagnosis, and Treatment, a Comprehensive Review of Case Reports

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Genital Crohn's disease (GCD) is an infrequent extraintestinal manifestation of Crohn's disease characterized by ulceration, pain, edema, and erythema in the anogenital area. GCD poses significant diagnostic and management challenges, mainly because there are no standardized clinical protocols. This review analyzed 20 case reports and series from 1983 to 2024, focusing on patients with GCD. The databases used for this search were PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The most common presentation in male patients was genital edema or swelling, seen in 88.9% of cases. Pain was the main presentation in 71.9% of cases among female patients. Several complications were reported, including rectovaginal and enterovaginal fistulas, tubo-ovarian abscesses, and penile involvement. The diagnosis was made based on clinical evaluation, which was supported by laboratory tests, physical examinations, imaging, and endoscopic procedures. Histological examinations of biopsied genital ulcers demonstrated non-caseating granulomatous inflammation; however, this finding was observed in only 50% of patients. Moreover, pelvic magnetic resonance imaging is highlighted as a crucial diagnostic tool. The most common form of treatment is pharmacological therapy. Corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors are the most frequently used drugs. A total of 14 studies reported th

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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