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Crohn's disease is characterized by chronic inflammation that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract but most commonly involves the terminal ileum and the colon. The presence of aphthous ulcers, which are small, painful lesions, is a hallmark feature of this condition.

In Crohn's disease, inflammation can lead to a variety of complications, including strictures, fistulas, and abscesses. The inflammation is typically transmural, meaning it affects all layers of the intestinal wall, which can cause the bowel to become thickened and narrowed. This is different from other gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcerative colitis, which primarily affects the colon and does not feature transmural inflammation or aphthous ulcers.

The distinctive features of Crohn's disease help differentiate it from other gastrointestinal diseases listed. For instance, gastritis primarily refers to inflammation of the stomach lining, while gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) involves the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus. Ulcerative colitis, although also an inflammatory bowel disease, is limited to the colon and is characterized by continuous lesions rather than the skip lesions commonly seen in Crohn's disease.