Anatomical involvement and clinical features in 91 Japanese patients with Crohn's disease

Ninety-three patients with Crohn's disease who had not undergone bowel resection at the time of diagnosis (during the years 1969-1983) were selected for the study, to elucidate whether initial anatomical involvement correlates with clinical manifestations, complications, laboratory findings, and prognosis. Forty-one patients had isolated small intestine disease (44%), 37 ileocolic (40%), 13 colonic disease alone (14%), and two rectal or appendix involvement (2%). Statistically significant symptoms were fever and rectal bleeding with colon involvement, and number of liquid or very soft stools in 1 week with ileocolic or colon involvement. Statistically significant complications included intestinal obstruction with ileocolic disease, perianal fistulas, and arthritis with colonic disease. Increases in ESR, C-reactive protein, and white blood cell in patients with colon involvement were among the statistically significant laboratory findings. Gammaglobulin was significantly higher in patients with ileocolic or colon involvement than in those with small intestine disease. Red cell count and hemoglobin were significantly lower in patients with ileocolitis than in patients with small intestine involvement. Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) was significantly higher in patients with ileocolic or colon involvement than in those with small intestine involvement only. These findings confirm that colonic involvement renders the disease more severe than involvement of the small intestine. Surgery was required for 22 patients (24%) during a 2.8-year follow-up, but the difference among the three groups was not significant.