[Pulmonary functional disorders in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease].

Lung functions were tested (by whole-body plethysmography, pneumotachography, CO diffusion, blood-gas analysis) in 54 patients with Crohn's disease, 21 with ulcerative colitis and 43 healthy subjects. Abnormalities of pulmonary function were found in 38% of those with ulcerative colitis and 54% with Crohn's disease, significantly more often (p less than 0.005) than in the healthy controls (7%). Obstructive disorders were more frequent in patients with ulcerative colitis than Crohn's disease (p less than 0.01), the latter having mainly restrictive and diffusion abnormalities. The abnormal results were unrelated to previous drug treatment as well as duration, activity and site of the disease. The cause of the respiratory abnormalities remain unexplained, but they may be extra-intestinal manifestations of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.