[Inflammatory bowel disease: experience of two Chilean centers].
BACKGROUND
The incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has increased, particularly in the developed world, and probably also in Chile.


OBJECTIVE
To report our experience with a large group of patients from two medical centers, Hospital Clinico de la Universidad de Chile (HCUCH) and Clinica Las Condes (CLC) and to characterize the clinical features of IBD in Chile.


METHODS
Retrospective review of 238 patients with IBD (age range 14-78 years, 143 women) treated at HCUCH and CLC between January 1990 and August 2002.


RESULTS
One hundred eighty one patients had ulcerative colitis (UC) and 57 had Crohn's disease (CD), with an UC/CD ratio of 3.2/1. Forty eight percent of patients were aged between 20 and 39 years old and 69% were diagnosed after 1995. Patients from HCUCH had more severe disease, more complications and needed surgery more often.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical features of Chilean patients with IBD are similar to those of other countries. UC is more common than EC. There is a higher proportion of women with the disease. The severity of the disease was higher among HCUCH.
Figueroa C
Carolina
C
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. cfigueroacorona@yahoo.com
Quera P
Rodrigo
R
Valenzuela E
Jorge
J
Jensen B
Christian
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents