Crohn's disease in the elderly: clinical features and long-term outcome of 19 Greek patients.
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical course, prognosis, treatment and follow-up of 19 patients with Crohn's disease aged 60 years or over at the time of onset of symptoms.


METHODS
A series of 12 males and 7 females aged 65 +/- 4. 9 and 66. 6 +/- 6 years at the onset of symptoms and the time of diagnosis, respectively (elderly group), were studied. Another group of patients(83 males, 53 females aged 29.8 +/- 12.4 and 32.2 +/- 12.7 at the onset of symptoms and of diagnosis, respectively) served as a control group (young group). Both groups were followed-up for a mean period of 7.2 and 9.8 years, respectively.


RESULTS
The most common site of involvement in the elderly group was the distal ileum (47.4%), followed by large bowel (36.6%) and concurrent large and small bowel involvement (16%). Acute presentation was significantly more common in the older group. Fever and loss of weight were significantly less common in the older group (p<0.05). A higher rate of complications especially acute abdomen, was observed in the elderly group. There were no significant differences in the indication for surgery and type of surgical procedure applied between the two groups. However significantly fewer patients in the elderly group were operated on because of perianal abscess compared to the young group (p<0.05). Follow-up data revealed that elderly patients with Crohn's disease who had been operated upon showed no significant differences in the course of their disease compared to operated young patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Crohn's disease in elderly persons of Greek origin follows much the same pattern as in other developed countries of the world.
Triantafillidis
J K
JK
Dept of Gastroenterology, Saint Panteleimon General State Hospital, Nicea, Greece.
Emmanouilidis
A
A
Nicolakis
D
D
Ifantis
T
T
Cheracakis
P
P
Merikas
E G
EG
D000038:Abscess; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010502:Perineum / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D015431:Weight Loss