OBJECTIVES: To review an individual community gastroenterologist's experien
ce with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aspects studied were distribu
tion of disease, need for hospital admission, immunosuppressants, systemic
steroids, and surgery and its indications. The incidence of cancer was also
reviewed.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: The charts of all IBD patients (n = 373) seen between
1993 and 1996 by an individual gastroenterologist in an urban community ho
spital were reviewed for the aforementioned information. Patients seen duri
ng this period may have been diagnosed with IBD before or during the period
of 1993 to 1996.
RESULTS: Of the 373 patients, 219 had Crohn's disease (CD) and 154 had ulce
rative colitis (UC). The most common age of onset for both groups was 20 to
29 years. Distal UC and distal Crohn's colitis patients rarely required su
rgery, hospitalization, systemic steroids or immunosuppressants. Eighty per
cent of patients with small bowel CD and 51% of those with ileocolonic CD
required at least one operation. Of the UC patients, 10.4% required surgery
. Of the UC patients undergoing surveillance for cancer, none developed can
cer but one developed significant dysplasia.
CONCLUSIONS: In both CD and UC the site of the inflammation plays a major r
ole in determining the need for hospitalization, surgery, systemic steroids
and immunosuppressants. Distal UC, the most common form of UC in this grou
p of patients, is a very benign disease. Of all forms of IBD, small bowel C
D had the greatest need for hospitalization, surgery and systemic steroids.