Gastroenterology Consultants,SC: Diseases of the GI tract CROHN'S DISEASE [<<back | list all>>] Crohn's disease is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract. The intestinal tract has four major parts; the esophagus, or food tube; the stomach, where food is churned and digested; the long, small bowel, where nutrients, calories, and vitamins are absorbed; and the colon and rectum, where water is absorbed and stool is stored. The two primary sites for Crohn's disease are the ileum, which is the last portion of the small bowel (ileitis, regional enteritis), and the colon (Crohn's colitis). The condition begins as small, microscopic nests of inflammation which persist and smolder. The lining of the bowel can then become ulcerated and the bowel wall thickened. Eventually, the bowel may become narrowed.