title: Clinical epidemiology of Crohn's disease in Arabs based on the Montreal Classification.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There has been a remarkable increase in the incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) among Arabs in recent years. We conducted this study to determine the clinical epidemiology of CD in Kuwait.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sociodemographic and clinical information was collected for a continuous series of 206 Arab patients with CD and age at diagnosis and location and behavior of disease was determined according to the Montreal Classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 206 patients, 100 (48.5%) were males and 106 (51.5%) females. The mean age at diagnosis (±SD) was 21.9 ± 10 years. Family history of CD was reported by 39 (18.9%) patients. The disease was limited to the ileum in 115 (55.8%) patients, whereas in 28 (13.6%) it involved the colon and in 63 (30.6%) it involved both the ileum and colon. The behavior of the disease was nonstricturing, nonpenetrating in 146 (70.9%) patients, whereas 49 (23.8%) had stricturing and 11 (5.3%) penetrating disease. Perianal disease was present in 41 (19.9%) patients. In the multivariate analysis, the use of biologic therapy and duration of the disease for ≥6 years were significantly associated with the presence of perianal disease, and the need for surgery was significantly associated with stricturing and penetrating disease behavior.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CD among Arabs is equally common in males and females, presents at a relatively younger age, and in about half of the patients is limited to the small bowel. These features may indicate an underlying genetic predisposition for the disease in this population, which needs further investigation.
authors: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait. isiddique@hsc.edu.kw
authors: Iqbal
authors: I
authors: Siddique
authors: Waleed
authors: W
authors: Alazmi
authors: Jaber
authors: J
authors: Al-Ali
authors: Ahmad
authors: A
authors: Al-Fadli
authors: Nabeel
authors: N
authors: Alateeqi
authors: Anjum
authors: A
authors: Memon
authors: Fuad
authors: F
authors: Hasan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult