BAPS collective review: chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

One hundred fifty-three cases of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (CIBD) presenting in children aged under 15 years in the decade 1970 to 1979 are reviewed. Eighty cases of Crohn's disease (CD) and 73 cases of ulcerative colitis (UC) were diagnosed at mean ages of 10.5 years (CD) and 8.8 years (UC) with mean delay in diagnosis of 16.3 months (CD) and 9.3 months (UC). A wide spectrum of symptoms and signs characterized CIBD but growth failure was prominent in CD. Diagnosis was established by barium contrast radiography, sigmoidoscopy, histology of biopsy material and laparotomy. Despite medical treatment, 57% of CD cases and 26% of UC cases required operation at a mean age of 2 years after diagnosis for a variety of indications. Resection was most commonly performed but further operation was necessary in approximately one third of cases within one year. At follow-up, at a mean of almost 6 years, growth failure (35.7%) was marked in CD and continuing disease was troublesome in both CD (65%) and UC (52%). There was a small mortality (2.5% CD and 4.2% UC) in the course of the review period.