title: [Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of ulcerative colitis in north-eastern Mexico].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) compromises two entities: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn Disease (CD). The incidence and prevalence vary widely in relation to ethnicity and demographic localization. Historically it has been considered a rare disease in Mexico.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency of new UC cases and their clinical characteristics in a referral hospital of North-Eastern Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  An epidemiological, descriptive and retrospective study was made which included newly diagnosed patients with UC in a five years period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The adjusted rate of patients diagnosed with UC to the number of admissions for year was 2.3, 2.6, 3.0, 3.6 and 4.1/1000 admissions between 2004 and 2008. The rate of newly diagnosed patients with UC has doubled in the year 2008 compared with the year 2004 (p < 0.05). Fifty five percent of the patients showed mild disease, 30% showed moderate disease and 15% showed severe disease. Fifty percent of the patients had pancolitis, left sided colitis was present in 21% and 29% of the patients just had proctitis. Other clinical aspects of UC corresponded to those previously described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of new patients diagnosed with UC has significantly increased in this tertiary-care referral hospital for the last five years.
authors: Servicio de Gastroenterología, Departamento de de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Dr. José Eleuterio González. fbosques58@hotmail.com
authors: F J
authors: FJ
authors: Bosques-Padilla
authors: E R
authors: ER
authors: Sandoval-García
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Martínez-Vázquez
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Garza-González
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Maldonado-Garza