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Published on: September 20, 2018
One-year prospective registry of inflammatory bowel disease in the Argentine pediatric population
Rosalía Vicentín1, Marta Wagener2, Alejandro B Pais1
1Hospital de Niños Dr. Orlando Alassia, Santa Fe, Argentina. vicentinrosalia@gmail.com.
Insights
The incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Argentina is 0.4 per 100,000, with Crohn
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Background:
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), is increasingly diagnosed in children.
- The incidence of pediatric IBD in Argentina was previously unknown.
- This study aimed to determine the incidence, epidemiology, and clinical features of IBD in Argentinian children and adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To ascertain the annual incidence of pediatric IBD in Argentina.
- To describe the epidemiological characteristics of pediatric IBD.
- To document the clinical presentations of IBD in the pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, observational, multicenter study was conducted across Argentina.
- Inclusion criteria: children and adolescents (<18 years) diagnosed with IBD between June 2012 and May 2013.
- Data collected via a web protocol from public and private healthcare facilities.
Main Results:
- A total of 50 pediatric IBD cases were recruited from 17 participating sites.
- The overall incidence of IBD was 0.4 per 100,000 individuals under 18 years.
- Common symptoms included chronic diarrhea with blood/mucus, abdominal pain, and weight loss; growth retardation was less frequent than anticipated. Extraintestinal manifestations were noted in approximately 25% of cases.
Conclusions:
- The incidence of pediatric IBD in Argentina is lower than reported in other international registries.
- The study highlights the need for an ongoing national registry for IBD.
- An established registry would improve incidence tracking and support specialized care centers.
Introduction:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). IBD diagnosis has become increasingly common in pediatrics but its incidence is unknown in Argentina. The objective of this study was to determine the annual incidence of IBD in children and adolescents younger than 18 years in Argentina, its epidemiological aspects, and clinical presentations.
Population And Methods:
Prospective, observational, multicenter study conducted in Argentina. Children and adolescents younger than 18 years from public and private facilities, diagnosed with IBD between June 1st, 2012 and May 31st, 2013 were included via a web protocol.
Results:
Seventeen sites participated in the study; 50 patients were recruited from 10 sites. IBD incidence was 0.4/100 000 among individuals <18 years; CD, 20; UC, 25; and idiopathic IBD, 5. Distribution by sex: 26 boys and 24 girls. Patients' mean age at diagnosis was 9.7 years, and delay in the diagnosis was 16.5 months. The most common symptoms and signs were chronic diarrhea with blood and/or mucus, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Growth retardation was less common than expected. Extraintestinal manifestations were observed in 24% of UC cases and in 25% of CD cases. The most common location of CD was the ileum and colon, and of UC was the entire colon (pancolonic). There were no cases with severe UC.
Conclusions:
The incidence was lower than that reported in other registries. We recommend the development of an ongoing registry, to establish the incidence of IBD, but also to serve as backup for referring facilities where this disease is diagnosed and treated.
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