Digestion
Volume 38, Issue 3, 1987, Pages 187-192

Inflammatory bowel disease: One condition or two? (Article)

Shivananda S.* , Hordijk M.L. , Peña A.S. , Mayberry J.F.
  • a National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Hygiene, Bilthoven, Netherlands
  • b University Hospital (Dijkzigt), Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • c Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Leiden, Netherlands
  • d City and University Hospitals of Nottingham, United Kingdom

Abstract

Demographic data obtained from epidemiological studies of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative proctocolitis in Regio Leiden (Leiden health care region) were compared. Ulcerative colitis (6.8 cases/105population/year) had an incidence almost twice that of Crohn’s disease (3.9/105/year; p < 0.001). Each disease occurred with equal frequency in both sexes and diagnosis of the diseases occurred at similar ages (Spearman’s correlation coefficient = 0.84; p < 0.01). Where ulcerative colitis was common in the various municipalities so was Crohn’s disease (Spearman’s correlation coefficient - 0.88; p < 0.001). No cases of Crohn’s disease were identified amongst migrants, but 6 cases of ulcerative colitis (prevalence = 85/105; 95% confidence interval = 35-195) were found. This difference was significance (p < 0.05). It seems likely that the two diseases may simply represent the opposite ends of a continuous spectrum of inflammatory bowel disease. © 1987 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Author Keywords

Crohn’s disease Ulcerative colitis Epidemiology Similarities

Index Keywords

enteritis Netherlands male comparative study ethnic or racial aspects sex difference female ulcerative colitis Colitis, Ulcerative demography crohn disease human Support, Non-U.S. Gov't age
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0023601884&doi=10.1159%2f000199589&partnerID=40&md5=54a2dbad300d12084f4ca7a9fb637f04
DOI: 10.1159/000199589
ISSN: 00122823
Cited by: 11
Original Language: English