CHRONIC IDIOPATHIC ULCERATIVE-COLITIS IN SAUDI-ARABIA - A CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF 76 CASES

In this report we present our experience with 76 cases of chronic idio pathic ulcerative colitis (IUC) out of 1279 consecutive colorectal bio psies (6.0%), seen during an 11-year period (1983-1994), in a tertiary care teaching hospital. During the same period, 12 (0.8%) patients wi th Crohn's disease were seen. Of the 76 patients with IUC, forty-nine were male and 27 were female, with an age range of six to 88 years, a mean of 38 +/- 16 and a median of 36 years. Forty-nine patients were S audi Nationals (27M, 22F), 21 were non-Saudi Arabs and six were Asians . In most patients, the onset of IUC was at 20 to 49 years (70%). The disease duration at diagnosis ranged from one month to five years, wit h a median of 12 months. The follow-up period ranged from 13 months to 11 years, with a median of three years. Diarrhea, hematochesia and ab dominal pain were the dominant symptoms. The disease grade was general ly of mild to moderate severity (55 patients, 72%) and was of low stag e (distal involvement in 69 patients, 91%). The rarity of skin manifes tations and of development of colonic cancer is to be noted in spite o f the relatively short period of follow-up. Our findings compare with experience from the region, confirming the mild course of the disease as contrasted to Western experience. These findings will be discussed.