title: Inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia: a hospital-based clinical study of 312 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and natural course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Saudi Arabia are still largely unknown. Hence, we decided to conduct a large retrospective, cohort study to determine these features of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh from January 1970 to December 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed all the cases of IBD diagnosed and collected all data pertaining to patients with IBD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 312 patients with IBD were included for this analysis, including 197 (63%) patients with Crohn disease (CD) and 115 (37%) patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). The mean age (standard deviation) of patients with IBD was 25.5 (10.6) years; 152 (48.7%) were males and 160 females. The referral rate in the past 10 years was 72.1% compared with preceding 20 years, and 56% (n=178) of patients with IBD were from the central region of Saudi Arabia. The patients were followed up for a mean duration of 9.5 years; during their follow-up, 206 patients (66%) required hospital admission and 9 patients (2.9%)  with UC developed colon cancer. A total of 6 patients died during the follow-up. Fifty-three percent (n=104) of the patients with CD underwent surgeries as part of their treatment, whereas only 20% (n=23) of the patients with UC underwent colectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of IBD has been gradually increasing in Saudi Arabia over the years. Clinical features and morbidity in patients are not different from patients with IBD seen in the West.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed Al
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fadda
authors.forename: Musthafa Chalikandy
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Peedikayil
authors.forename: Ingvar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kagevi
authors.forename: Khalid Al
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kahtani
authors.forename: Ali Al
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ben
authors.forename: Hamad Ibrahim
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Al
authors.forename: Fahad Al
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Sohaibani
authors.forename: Mohammed Al
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Quaiz
authors.forename: Maheeba
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdulla
authors.forename: Mohammed Qaseem
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Helmy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology