Clinical and epidemiological aspects of Crohn's disease in children and adolescents.

Between 1971 and 1980 34 children (18 boys and 16 girls) were diagnosed as having Crohn's disease in Orebro county, Sweden, corresponding to a yearly incidence of 6.1 and a prevalence of 41 per 100,000 children. Classical gastrointestinal symptoms were common, but initially only five patients presented with extraintestinal symptoms and had a normal ESR. Of the patients 13 have only been treated medically and 21 have been operated on. Nine of the children have had a quiescent course, whereas 13 had a recurrent and 11 a chronic course. Most of the children have a good quality of life, which we think is the result of a carefully individualized therapy. One child died.