One-year prospective registry of inflammatory bowel disease in the Argentine pediatric population.

INTRODUCTION

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). IBD diagnosis has become increasingly common in pediatrics but its incidence is unknown in Argentina. The objective of this study was to determine the annual incidence of IBD in children and adolescents younger than 18 years in Argentina, its epidemiological aspects, and clinical presentations.

POPULATION AND METHODS

Prospective, observational, multicenter study conducted in Argentina. Children and adolescents younger than 18 years from public and private facilities, diagnosed with IBD between June 1st, 2012 and May 31st, 2013 were included via a web protocol.

RESULTS

Seventeen sites participated in the study; 50 patients were recruited from 10 sites. IBD incidence was 0.4/100 000 among individuals <18 years; CD, 20; UC, 25; and idiopathic IBD, 5. Distribution by sex: 26 boys and 24 girls. Patients' mean age at diagnosis was 9.7 years, and delay in the diagnosis was 16.5 months. The most common symptoms and signs were chronic diarrhea with blood and/or mucus, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Growth retardation was less common than expected. Extraintestinal manifestations were observed in 24% of UC cases and in 25% of CD cases. The most common location of CD was the ileum and colon, and of UC was the entire colon (pancolonic). There were no cases with severe UC.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence was lower than that reported in other registries. We recommend the development of an ongoing registry, to establish the incidence of IBD, but also to serve as backup for referring facilities where this disease is diagnosed and treated.