Prevalence of Crohn's disease and simultaneous occurrence of extraintestinal complications and cancer. An epidemiologic study in adults.

BACKGROUND

Very dissimilar prevalence figures for Crohn's disease (CD) have been reported from different regions of Scandinavia. There are few reports on the occurrence of liver, joint, skin, and eye disease and gastrointestinal cancer in CD.

METHODS

All patients > or = 16 years old with CD living in a well-defined catchment area on 1 March 1990 were identified from the previous 10 years' registers of inpatients and outpatients. The records were screened for evidence of extraintestinal complications and fistulas.

RESULTS

The prevalence of CD was 94/10(5) (95% confidence interval, 84-104) inhabitants > or = 16 years old. Signs of liver disease were encountered in 1 of 10 patients, and other extraintestinal complications and intestinal cancer occurred in 1-3%. The true prevalence of primary sclerosing cholangitis could not be assessed.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of CD was midway between recent figures from Orebro and Copenhagen. Fistulas and pathologic liver laboratory test results were more prevalent when CD involved both the large and small bowel.