Long-Term Follow-up and Predictors of Complicated Disease Behavior in Pediatric Crohn's Disease Patients.

OBJECTIVE

Identifying predictors of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) outcome in order to optimize individual patient management in has become an important goal. We aimed to describe the long-term outcome of pediatric Crohn disease (CD) patients and identify risk factors for complicated behavior.

METHODS

Pediatric CD patients diagnosed between 1998 and 2014, with long-term follow-up were included. Baseline data; age, gender, weight/height/BMI percentiles, and family history of IBD. Disease characteristics (Paris classification), laboratory testing, imaging and treatment were documented. Outcome data; evidence of stricturing or penetrating disease, hospitalizations, surgical intervention, malignancies, and mortality.

RESULTS

Of 93 patients included, mean age at diagnosis 13.5 (±3.2), 51 (55%) male, median follow-up 10.3 years (±4 SD(. Disease location at diagnosis: 29 (31.2%) distal ileum, 17 (18.3%) colonic, 40 (43.0%) ileo-colonic. Seven (7.5%) had upper gastrointestinal and 36 (38.7%) perianal involvement. Behavior at diagnosis, 68 (73.1%) inflammatory (B1), and 25 (26.9%) complicated [(B2 (stricturing) and/or B3 (penetrating)]. Twenty (23.2%) of B1 evolved to B2 and/or B3, thus by the end of follow-up 45 (48.4%) had complicated behavior. Sixty-seven (72%) were hospitalized, 20 (21.5%) underwent surgery, two developed malignancy with no mortalities. In a logistic regression model, growth delay (hazard ratio [HR], 5.02 [1.10-22.85], P = 0.037) and low albumin levels (HR, 3.97 [1.32-11.97], P = 0.014) at diagnosis were predictors of complicated disease in adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS

Over a quarter of pediatric Crohn disease patients present with complicated behavior. During follow-up another quarter progress to complicated disease behavior. Delayed growth and low albumin at diagnosis predict progression.