Which disease is characterized by inflammation of the intestines most frequently in the ileum?

• A. Crohn disease
• B. Diverticulum
• C. Fecalith
• D. Ileus

Answer: (A)

Inflammation of the ileum is most characteristic of Crohn disease. This inflammatory bowel disease often targets the terminal ileum and can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, with inflammation that is transmural and may occur in skip lesions, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and potential malabsorption. Diverticulum involves pouches in the colon, usually the sigmoid, not the ileum. A fecalith is a stone formed from stool that can cause obstruction or appendicitis, not an inflammatory ileal disease. Ileus is a functional obstruction from impaired motility, not an inflammatory process of the ileum. Thus, Crohn disease best fits the description of inflammation most frequently in the ileum.