A changing trend in the management of patients with newly diagnosed Crohn's disease

Epidemiologic shift with rising incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) has been reported in recent studies.

To determine disease behaviour and therapeutic interventions undertaken in newly diagnosed patients with CD.

Patients diagnosed with CD between January 2006 and June 2008 were included. Disease type, location, degree of involvement and type of therapeutic interventions were recorded.

A total of 78 patients were included. Colonic, ileo-colonic, terminal ileal and isolated small bowel disease were present in 37, 27, 9 and 5 patients, respectively. Disease phenotype was inflammatory, stenosing and fistulising in 42, 30 and 6 patients, respectively. Surgery was required in 22 patients, including right hemicolectomy (n = 8), subtotal colectomy (n = 4), segmental colonic resection (n = 2), segmental small bowel resection (n = 2), appendectomy (n = 2) and perianal surgery (n = 4). Fourteen patients underwent surgery at the time of diagnosis. Laparoscopic surgery was performed in 14 patients.

A significant proportion of newly diagnosed patients with CD underwent surgical intervention on their first admission to hospital. This may signify a changing trend in the management approach.