Abstract
Objective: To determine the incidence and clinical characteristics at presentation of inflammatory bower disease (IBD) in a defined area of north Italy. Design: A 4-year prospective population-based epidemiological study. Setting: An area in Lombardia defined by the National Health Service scheme with about 294 000 inhabitants, two referral hospitals and 259 general practitioners (GPs). Patients: Subjects presenting to a GP with symptoms compatible with IBD underwent a diagnostic work-up at one of the referral hospitals. Those with ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD) or indeterminate colitis diagnosed according to a defined protocol were included, as were residents of the area with IBD diagnosed elsewhere. Rigid case ascertainment methods were used. Patients were followed for one year; 125 patients were identified. Results: The patient ascertainment rate was constant over the 4 years; UC was diagnosed in 82 patients, CD in 40, and indeterminate colitis in three. The mean annual incidence of IBD for the whole period was 10.6/105 inhabitants (95% confidence limits, 7.2-15.1), 7.0/105 for UC (4.3-10.7) and 3.4/105 (1.6-6.3) for CD. The mean interval between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was under 6 months. The clinical characteristics of our patients were similar to those of north European and American series. Conclusion: The incidence of IBD was higher than previously observed in Italy but was still lower than in some north European countries and in the USA. Our data could be used as a basis for future longitudinal studies and in international comparative investigations.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 657-661 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Publication status | Published - 1996 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Crohn's disease
- Epidemiology
- Incidence
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Ulcerative colitis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Gastroenterology
Cite this
Epidemiological aspects of inflammatory bowel disease in a north Italian population : A 4-year prospective study. / Ranzi, Tullio; Bodini, Paolo; Zambelli, Alessandro; Politi, Patrizia; Lupinacci, Guido; Campanini, Maria Cristina; Dal Lago, Anna Lisa; Lisciandrano, Dario; Bianchi, Paolo A.
In: European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Vol. 8, No. 7, 1996, p. 657-661.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Epidemiological aspects of inflammatory bowel disease in a north Italian population
T2 - A 4-year prospective study
AU - Ranzi, Tullio
AU - Bodini, Paolo
AU - Zambelli, Alessandro
AU - Politi, Patrizia
AU - Lupinacci, Guido
AU - Campanini, Maria Cristina
AU - Dal Lago, Anna Lisa
AU - Lisciandrano, Dario
AU - Bianchi, Paolo A.
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - Objective: To determine the incidence and clinical characteristics at presentation of inflammatory bower disease (IBD) in a defined area of north Italy. Design: A 4-year prospective population-based epidemiological study. Setting: An area in Lombardia defined by the National Health Service scheme with about 294 000 inhabitants, two referral hospitals and 259 general practitioners (GPs). Patients: Subjects presenting to a GP with symptoms compatible with IBD underwent a diagnostic work-up at one of the referral hospitals. Those with ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD) or indeterminate colitis diagnosed according to a defined protocol were included, as were residents of the area with IBD diagnosed elsewhere. Rigid case ascertainment methods were used. Patients were followed for one year; 125 patients were identified. Results: The patient ascertainment rate was constant over the 4 years; UC was diagnosed in 82 patients, CD in 40, and indeterminate colitis in three. The mean annual incidence of IBD for the whole period was 10.6/105 inhabitants (95% confidence limits, 7.2-15.1), 7.0/105 for UC (4.3-10.7) and 3.4/105 (1.6-6.3) for CD. The mean interval between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was under 6 months. The clinical characteristics of our patients were similar to those of north European and American series. Conclusion: The incidence of IBD was higher than previously observed in Italy but was still lower than in some north European countries and in the USA. Our data could be used as a basis for future longitudinal studies and in international comparative investigations.
AB - Objective: To determine the incidence and clinical characteristics at presentation of inflammatory bower disease (IBD) in a defined area of north Italy. Design: A 4-year prospective population-based epidemiological study. Setting: An area in Lombardia defined by the National Health Service scheme with about 294 000 inhabitants, two referral hospitals and 259 general practitioners (GPs). Patients: Subjects presenting to a GP with symptoms compatible with IBD underwent a diagnostic work-up at one of the referral hospitals. Those with ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD) or indeterminate colitis diagnosed according to a defined protocol were included, as were residents of the area with IBD diagnosed elsewhere. Rigid case ascertainment methods were used. Patients were followed for one year; 125 patients were identified. Results: The patient ascertainment rate was constant over the 4 years; UC was diagnosed in 82 patients, CD in 40, and indeterminate colitis in three. The mean annual incidence of IBD for the whole period was 10.6/105 inhabitants (95% confidence limits, 7.2-15.1), 7.0/105 for UC (4.3-10.7) and 3.4/105 (1.6-6.3) for CD. The mean interval between onset of symptoms and diagnosis was under 6 months. The clinical characteristics of our patients were similar to those of north European and American series. Conclusion: The incidence of IBD was higher than previously observed in Italy but was still lower than in some north European countries and in the USA. Our data could be used as a basis for future longitudinal studies and in international comparative investigations.
KW - Crohn's disease
KW - Epidemiology
KW - Incidence
KW - Inflammatory bowel disease
KW - Ulcerative colitis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0029899370&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029899370&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 8853254
AN - SCOPUS:0029899370
VL - 8
SP - 657
EP - 661
JO - European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
JF - European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
SN - 0954-691X
IS - 7
ER -