Pathologic Changes
Pathologic processes that lead to chronic, i.e. on-going, intestinal crypt destruction are associated with branching of the crypts.
Causes of crypt branching include:
- inflammatory bowel disease (e.g. ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease),
- persistent infectious colitides, and
- ischemic colitis.
Crypt inflammation is known as cryptitis and characterized by the presence of neutrophils between the enterocytes. A severe cryptitis may lead to a crypt abscess.
Read more about this topic: Intestinal Gland