Ileal crohn’s disease: clinical characteristics, complications and outcomes in a moroccan tertiary center: A retrospective study of 105 Patients

Ileal involvement in Crohn’s disease represents a distinct form often associated with severe complications such as strictures, fistulas, and abscesses. It remains underexplored in our context. Through this retrospective study conducted in the Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology at Hassan II University Hospital in Fez, we analyzed the clinical, paraclinical, endoscopic, and evolutionary characteristics of patients with ileal Crohn’s disease. The clinical presentation was dominated by abdominal pain and bowel disturbances, with perianal and extraintestinal manifestations in several cases. Radiological and endoscopic investigations revealed suggestive ileal lesions, sometimes complicated. Diagnosis was based on a combination of clinical, biological, endoscopic, and histological findings. Management included immunosuppressive and biologic therapies, with surgery required in complicated forms. Disease progression was variable, marked by phases of remission but also by refractory or aggressive forms. This study highlights the severity of this disease phenotype, the frequency of its complications, and the importance of a tailored therapeutic strategy that combines early diagnosis, close monitoring, and multidisciplinary coordination.