RAPID SPINAL TRABECULAR BONE LOSS IN FEMALE-PATIENTS WITH ILEITIS TERMINALIS CROHN AND ADDITIONAL SACROILIAC JOINT INFLAMMATION

Patients with Crohn's disease are well known to have local and general ized osteopenia of varying degrees. The aim of this study was to inves tigate whether the additional involvement of the sacroiliac joint as a n extraintestinal manifestation has an influence on bone turnover in f emale patients with Crohn's disease. Osteocalcin and other parameters of bone metabolism were measured in 79 female patients with Crohn's di sease. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Z scores were obtained by comparison with age- and sex-matched normal values. As regards the sacroiliac involvement ( n=26; group 1), we found a significantly lower BMD in the lumbar spine (L4) and in Ward's triangle of the femoral neck compared to controls (P<0.05) and those patients (n=53; group 2) with pure ileitis terminal is Crohn. Furthermore, the duration of the disease process in patients with Crohn's disease and extraintestinal involvement was markedly sho rter than that of patients in group 2 (P<0.05). In conclusion, osteopo rosis in female patients with sacroiliac involvement manifested itself in a more severe way.