title: Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Cryptogenic Multifocal Ulcerous Stenosing Enteritis in Korea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cryptogenic multifocal ulcerous stenosing enteritis (CMUSE) is a rare disease that is characterized by multiple, recurring small intestinal ulcers with stenosis of unknown causes. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and the treatment outcomes of patients with CMUSE in Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a multicenter study to retrospectively analyze clinical data from 20 patients who suffered from CMUSE between 1984 and 2012. Their clinical characteristics and long-term disease courses were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common initial symptom of CMUSE was abdominal pain (14/20, 70 %). Small bowel series (13/20, 65 %), double-balloon enteroscopy (12/20, 60 %), CT enterography (12/20, 60 %), and capsule endoscopy (10/20, 50 %) were used to diagnose CMUSE. The strictures of the patients were located in the jejunum (5/20, 25 %), ileum (7/20, 35 %), and both jejunum and ileum (6/20, 30 %). The number of patients in a state of remission, persistent disease, and relapse at the end of follow-up were 13/20 (65 %), 2/20 (10 %), and 5/20 (25 %), respectively. The median relapse-free survival was of 67.1 months. Seventy-five percent relapse-free survivals for female and male patients were 93 and 9 months, respectively (P = 0.031).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMUSE is difficult to diagnose and is an easily relapsing disease. Female patients might have a better prognosis than male patients in terms of the relapse-free time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Institute of Gastroenerology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonseiro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Korea.
authors.forename: Sook Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Sang Un
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jae Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Eun Ran
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jeong-Sik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Byeon
authors.forename: Byong Duk
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Bora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Keum
authors.forename: Ki-Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Sung-Ae
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jin-Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Ran
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Hyun Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jeong Seop
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Dong Kyung
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004751:Enteritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007077:Ileal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D007579:Jejunal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014456:Ulcer / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy