Frequency of extraintestinal manifestations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Northwest Greece and review of the literature.
BACKGROUND
Inflammatory bowel disease mainly affects the bowel but also has extraintestinal manifestations.


OBJECTIVE
To report the frequency of extraintestinal manifestations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Northwest Greece. PATIENTS; The data files of 256 inflammatory bowel disease patients (diagnosis between 1983-19971 were analysed.


METHODS
Retrospective investigation of patient files.


RESULTS
In patients with ulcerative colitis: 13.9% (30/215) had developed skin manifestations, 6% (13/215) had kidney stones, 1.39% (3/215) had iridocyclitis, 1.86% (4/215) had primary sclerosing cholangitis, 4.18% (9/215) had sacroiliitis, 8.31% (18/215) had peripheral arthalgias, 2.3% (5/215) had colitic arthritis and finally 1.39% (3/215) had deep vein thrombosis). In patients with Crohn's disease: 24.3% (9/37) had developed skin manifestations, 5.4% (2/37) had kidney stones, 2.7% (1/37) had iridocyclitis, 16.2% (6/37) had sacroiliitis, 8.1% (3/37) had peripheral arthralgias, 5.4% (2/37) had colitic arthritis and, finally, 8.1% (3/37) had deep vein thrombosis. Sacroiliitis (p = 0.01), deep vein thrombosis (p = 0.04) and erythmema nodosum (p = 0.01) were more common in patients with Crohn's disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Extraintestinal manifestations are not rare in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, especially in Crohn's disease patients, in our area, but have, generally, a mild profile.
Christodoulou
D K
DK
Division of Internal Medicine (Hepato-Gastroenterology Unit), Medical School, University of Ioannina, Greece.
Katsanos
K H
KH
Kitsanou
M
M
Stergiopoulou
C
C
Hatzis
J
J
Tsianos
E V
EV
D000328:Adult; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies