Creeping fat and gut microbiota in Crohn’s disease

Figure 1 Increased intestinal permeability during Crohn’s disease allows bacterial translocation from the intestinal lumen into the mucosa and sub-mucosa. These bacteria, in particular Clostridium innocuum, can migrate to the adjacent adipose tissue and remain “trapped” in the fat. The immune cell migration and differentiation of macrophages increase, leading to fibrosis and stenosis, and ultimately the formation of creeping fat.