Inflammatory bowel disease in Oporto. A prospective hospital study.

Since 1975, 375 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Oporto have been studied; 180 had ulcerative colitis (UC) and 195 had Crohn's disease (CD). The steady rise in the number of patients observed suggests that the incidence of IBD is rising in the north of Portugal. At diagnosis UC was mild or moderate in 75.5% of patients, and 40.5% had rectal affection only. Colectomy was done only in two cases. The mortality was 1.1%. Clinical experience suggests that the behaviour of UC in this community may be milder than that reported at other centres. In CD patients ileitis was the commonest form (44.1%), and at diagnosis surgery was required for an acute condition of the abdomen in 22.5% of cases. The main complications were abdominal fistulae (22.1%) and perianal fistulae (21.5%). Colitis-related extraintestinal complications were present in 33.3% of IBD patients.