CROHNS-DISEASE IN THE SINGAPORE CHINESE POPULATION

Crohns disease (CD) is rare in the Chinese population, but lately ther e seems to be an increasing trend of CD in the Singapore Chinese popul ation. We carried our a retrospective study of all Chinese patients wi th CD seen from 1987 to 1993 at the Singapore General Hospital. All pa tients were regularly followed up and treated. Disease activity was de fined by the Organisation Mondiale de Gastroenterologie index. We also compared our series with our first series reported in 1987 and a West ern series. There were 32 patients (20 men, 12 women) giving a hospita l prevalence of 26.7 per 100,000 patients compared with 3.5 per 100,00 0 patients in 1986. The mean age was 37.1 years (range, 19-80 years). Twelve patients had small intestinal disease, 9 had colonic disease, a nd II had both. The common presenting symptoms were bloody diarrhea (6 7%), abdominal pain (53%), loss of weight (47%), and fever (34%). Extr aintestinal manifestations were rare. Six patients had no relapse duri ng the follow-up period, whereas the remaining 26 patients had an aver age of two relapses (range, 1-5). These relapses were complicated by f istulas in 8 patients and strictures in 11 patients. Response to stero ids and sulfasalazine was good in most patients. Four patients require d repeated surgery despite medical treatment. The prevalence of CD app ears to be increasing among the Singapore Chinese population. The clin ical features are similar to those of the Western population. Most of our patients responded to standard medical therapy, but further follow -up is needed to assess their long-term clinical outcome.