Ulcerative colitis in the Indian population of Durban

This study on ulcerative colitis in the Indian population of Durban between 1983 and 1987 revealed an incidence of 2,7/100,000 per year. Patients tended to have clinically mild-to-moderate disease, with macroscopic examination showing moderate severity and either extensive or total involvement. No relationship was found between clinical, macroscopic and laboratory indices of severity and extent of disease. The only relationship between laboratory tests and severity was that patients with low albumin values were more likely to have clinically severe disease. Extra-intestinal manifestations were rare, but many patients had liver involvement and colonic strictures. Ulcerative colitis was diagnosed more frequently than tuberculosis of the bowel during the study period, and amoebic dysentery was rarely diagnosed.