Intestinal crypts (crypts of Lieberkuhn) are simple tubular glands that dip down between the villi of the small intestine and form the entire glandular lining of the large intestine. Stem cells at their base constantly renew the gut lining every few days, and the crypts also house mucus-making goblet cells, antimicrobial Paneth cells and hormone-producing enteroendocrine cells.
| Location | Mucosa of the small intestine (between villi) and of the colon, rectum and appendix |
|---|---|
| Secretes |
|
| Nerve Supply | Submucosal (Meissner) plexus |
| Blood Supply | Superior mesenteric artery branches; Inferior mesenteric artery branches |
| Lymphatic drainage |
Renew the intestinal lining from stem cells, secrete fluid and mucus that keep gut contents moving and the surface protected, release antimicrobial proteins and produce hormones that coordinate digestion.
Rapid cell division in the crypts makes the gut lining sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation, causing diarrhoea and mucositis. In ulcerative colitis, neutrophils invading crypts produce crypt abscesses, a key biopsy feature. Most colorectal cancers start when crypt cells acquire mutations (often in APC) and grow into adenomatous polyps. In coeliac disease the crypts lengthen (crypt hyperplasia) as villi flatten.
Collections of neutrophils within crypts, a characteristic finding in active inflammatory bowel disease.
A benign growth arising from crypt epithelium that can progress to colorectal cancer if not removed.
Damage to rapidly dividing crypt stem cells causing diarrhoea, pain and malabsorption.
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