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  • Title: [Epidemiology of Crohn's disease in the Rijeka-Istra region].
    Author: Jovanović Z.
    Journal: Lijec Vjesn; 1999; 121(1-2):8-13. PubMed ID: 10377694.
    Abstract:
    The incidence and prevalence of Crohn's disease in Rijeka and Istra, the western part of Croatia with 575,000 inhabitants, were investigated for the period 1973-1994. A total of 197 patients were diagnosed. This gave an annual incidence of 0.34/10(5) in 1973 and 3.47/10(5) in 1994. These data suggest that incidence of Crohn's disease in our region is similar to that reported in northern Europe. The most frequent age groups affected were 15-25 and 50-60 years old. 54% of the patients were younger than 30 years. The small bowel was involved in 49.7% of the patients, the large bowel in 23.3%, and both small and large bowel in 25.8%. At the time of diagnosis 85.8% of patients had abdominal pain, 84.2% diarrhea, 71.6% significant weight loss. All forms of intestinal and extraintestinal complications were observed. Surgery was required in 25.5% patients. No patient developed a malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract. One patient had a cancer of uterus and one a cancer of vulva. The diagnosis was based on clinical features in combination with endoscopic and radiologic findings, and in most patients it was also supplemented by histologic examination. The mean interval from the symptom onset to diagnosis was 1.9 years. The positive family history among relatives was found. In Crohn's disease there was no dose-response relation between smoking and disease. The relationship should be further explored because of the potential for other therapeutic approaches in this disease.
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