Refractory Crohn's Disease Responsive to Dietary Therapy: A Case Report.

Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that typically presents in the second or third decade of life. There are various pharmaceutical therapies that have been developed to treat the disease's symptoms. However, some patients still do not find relief with these medications and turn to other therapies such as diet modification. The underlying cause of Crohn's disease involves multiple factors such as uncontrolled inflammation and several genetic variants. While most current medication therapies control the symptoms that occur due to this uncontrolled level of inflammation, an anti-inflammatory diet (AID) may actually lower the level of inflammation in the gut and therefore reduce the amount of disease symptoms in Crohn's disease. Some such diets include the IBD-AID, Crohn's disease exclusion diet, and the Groningen AID (GrAID). This report describes a case of treatment-resistant Crohn's disease in a patient who was given all categories of pharmaceutical therapies including prednisone, budesonide, sulfasalazine, olsalazine, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate, mesalamine, and adalimumab. These only gave temporary relief of symptoms and eventually failed for various reasons including allergic reaction, insufficient symptom control, and antibody formation against the medication. This prompted the patient to independently research AIDs instead. In conclusion, for patients whose disease is refractory to different treatments, or who develop antibodies to the medication, AIDs may offer a solution to reduce disease symptoms and progression. Education of healthcare professionals and patients alike is vital in order for Crohn's patients to gain the benefits from dietary therapy.

Refractory Chronic Constipation in an Adolescent Female Later Diagnosed With Internal Anal Sphincter Achalasia.

Internal anal sphincter achalasia (IASA) is a rare anorectal disorder that presents as chronic refractory constipation in pediatrics. With a poor response to conventional constipation-based therapy, it is often misdiagnosed as other conditions, such as ultra-short-segment Hirschsprung disease. This case report describes a rare case of IASA in an adolescent female, emphasizing the importance of ruling out other differentials, including Hirschsprung disease, via rectal biopsy and thus allowing for earlier targeted therapy to improve lifestyle conditions. A 20-year-old female with a history of IASA presents for semiannual botulism toxin injections. Despite initial relief, her constipation symptoms gradually returned after four to five months. She has had a history of ineffective conventional constipation treatments since childhood, which prompted a further workup. Biopsy results during her teenage years confirmed the presence of ganglionic cells, differentiating IASA from Hirschsprung disease. The management plan involved biannual perianal Botox injections, offering relief for approximately six months. IASA's physiological basis involves altered innervation, the absence of nitrergic nerves, and defective neuromuscular junctions in the internal anal sphincter. Diagnosis requires anorectal manometry and a rectal suction biopsy. Treatment options include botulism, toxin injections, and posterior internal anal sphincter myectomy. Botulism injections offer temporary relief, while myectomy provides long-term improvement.