INCIDENCE OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL-DISEASE IN NORTH-WEST GREECE - RARITYOF CROHNS-DISEASE IN AN AREA WHERE ULCERATIVE-COLITIS IS COMMON

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are generally regarde d as diseases of affluent societies of the Western World, although the ir frequency in less affluent areas is not well established. This retr ospective study therefore, assesses the incidence of UC and CD in a se mirural area of north west Greece during the 10 year period 1982-1991. By the 31 December 1991, 61 patients had met standard diagnostic crit eria for UC (annual incidence 4.0/10(5), 95% confidence intervals 3.0 to 5.0/10(5)) and only five patients met the diagnostic criteria for C D (annual incidence 0.3/10(5), 95% confidence intervals 0.1 to 0.8/10( 5)) in this area of 157 214 inhabitants. UC incidence was lowest in th e first three years at 1.8/10(5) per annum and subsequently increased to 4.8 and 5.1/10(5) per annum for the successive four and three year periods respectively. UC incidence was slightly higher in men. A third of all cases of UC had pancolitis while a quarter had only proctitis. More than one half were categorised as having moderate or severe coli tis. Three quarters of the patients resided in urban areas. The incide nce of CD was a twelfth of the UC incidence, which is in considerable contrast with most Western countries where the incidence of CD is usua lly no less than a third that for UC. The rarity of CD points to the a bsence of aetiological environmental factors specific for CD.