Incidence of Crohn's disease at Groote Schuur Hospital during 1970-1974.

In the period 1970-1974, 45 patients with Crohn's disease were seen. The incidence of the disease seems to be increasing. Twenty-nine of the patients were White, and 16 Coloured. The disease involved the small bowel alone in 9 patients, the ileocaecal region in 17, the large bowel alone in 4 and both the small and the large bowel in 15. Alone or in combination, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea were the commonest modes of presentation. The type of therapy used is discussed. Only 10 patients in this study have not as yet required surgery. Salazopyrin, steroids, antibiotics and azathioprine have been used with varying success in the treatment of most of the patients. Crohn's disease has a high degree of morbidity, but a low mortality rate.