[Surgery at follow-up in an incidence cohort of patients with Crohn's disease in Aragon (Spain): etiology, type of surgery and associated epidemiological factors].
BACKGROUND
Few population-based studies have been published on predictive factors in the clinical course of Crohn's disease (CD). The only constant risk factor for postsurgical recurrence is smoking. The aim of this study is to describe surgical need, etiology and characteristics, and the distinct clinical variables that act as risk or protective factors for the indication of surgery in an incidence cohort of patients with a diagnosis of CD in Aragon.


METHODS
Based on the results of a population-based, prospective study reporting the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease in Aragon, 88 patients with a diagnosis of CD were included in the present study. The patients medical records were reviewed and data on the following clinical variables from diagnosis (1992-1995) to February 2001 were gathered: surgery, type of surgery and etiology, anatomic distribution, number of relapses, remission, clinical course, death, smoking, oral contraceptive intake, and hospitalization. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed to investigate the association between these variables and surgery during follow-up.


RESULTS
Eighty-eight patients with at least 6 months of follow-up were included (88/103; 85%), with a mean follow-up of 77 months (range, 6-110 months). Some kind of surgery during follow-up was required by 20.5% of our patients; in nearly 50% of these, surgery was indicated for intestinal obstruction. A second surgical intervention was required in 10.2% due to fistula and/or abscess or ileostomy for subsequent reconstruction of intestinal transit. Although ileal localization was more frequently associated with surgery, this association was not statistically significant. No association was found between surgery during follow-up and sex, age at diagnosis or oral contraceptive intake. Factors positively associated with surgery were a chronic clinical course and a greater number of hospitalizations. We found no positive or negative association with smoking, non-smoking or time free of smoking, but the total time of smoking was positively associated with surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
Risk factors for surgery in patients with CD were a chronic clinical course, the number of hospitalizations and total time of smoking. Ileal localization was more frequently associated with surgery but this association was not statistically significant.
Sicilia
B
B
Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Zaragoza, Spain.
Vicente
R
R
Arroyo
M T
MT
Arribas
F
F
Gomollón
F
F
D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology