Clinical presentation of Crohn's disease. association between familial disease, smoking, disease phenotype, extraintestinal manifestations and need for surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent molecular data suggest that genetic factors may underlie the disease heterogeneity observed in Crohn's disease (CD). It was also suggested that familial inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a homogenous subgroup, phenotypically different from sporadic disease. Our aim was to determine the clinical presentation in a large CD population.

METHODOLOGY

564 CD patients (m/f: 278/286, age: 37.4 (SD 12.7) yrs, duration: 8.4 (7.1) yrs) were included. Disease phenotype was determined according to Vienna classification. Familial disease, extraintestinal manifestations (EIM), need for surgery and smoking habits were also analyzed.

RESULTS

Familial IBD was present in 73 (12.9%) patients. Age at onset and presence of EIMs was associated with familial disease. Penetrating (44.6% vs. <10 yrs: 29.1%, P<0.0001) and ileocolonic disease (54.4% vs. 42.8%, P=0.03) were more common in patients with a disease duration of > or =10 yrs. In a logistic regression model female gender, colonic/ileocolonic location, smoking and familial IBD were independent risk factors for EIMs, while ileal and non-inflammatory disease increased the risk for resections. Smoking was also associated with frequent relapses.

CONCLUSIONS

Familial IBD was associated with the presence of EIMs, while ileal involvement and noninflammatory behavior independently increased the risk for surgery. Since penetrating and extensive disease was more frequent in patients with longer disease duration our data support a possible change in location and behavior during the course of disease.