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Incidence and clinical characteristics of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Oman
Tawfiq Taki Al Lawati1, Yusriya Al Rawahi2, Al Qasim Al Bahlani1
1Department of Child Health, The Royal Hospital, Oman.
Insights
Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) incidence in Oman is low but rising, particularly after 2015. Bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain are common symptoms in affected children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Epidemiology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
Background:
- Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) is a global health concern with established knowledge in many countries.
- Limited data exists on PIBD prevalence and pathology within the Omani population.
- This study addresses the knowledge gap regarding PIBD in Oman.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) in Oman.
- To describe the clinical features of PIBD in Omani children.
- To establish a baseline for future PIBD research in the region.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study design.
- Inclusion criteria: Children under 13 years diagnosed between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2021.
- Data collected on PIBD incidence and clinical presentations.
Main Results:
- Fifty-one cases of PIBD were identified, with a female predominance (56.9%).
- Median incidence rates per 10^5 children: IBD (0.57), UC (0.18), CD (0.19).
- Significant increase in PIBD incidence observed post-2015; bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain were primary symptoms; 40.9% of CD cases had perianal disease.
Conclusions:
- Omani PIBD incidence is lower than some Gulf neighbors but comparable to Saudi Arabia.
- An alarming upward trend in PIBD incidence was noted from 2015 onwards.
- Further large-scale population-based studies are recommended to explore the rising incidence of PIBD.
Background:
Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) has been documented all over the world, and there is now a large body of clinical, pathological, and treatment knowledge and protocols in place in many countries. There is currently limited knowledge on the prevalence and pathology of PIBD in Omani population. The aim of this study is to report the incidence and clinical features of PIBD in Oman.
Methods:
This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study carried out on all children <13 years of age between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2021.
Results:
Fifty-one children were identified, 22 males (43.1%) and 29 females (56.9%), who were mostly from the Muscat region of Oman. The median incidence in the country was 0.57 (confidence interval [CI]: 0.31-0.64) per 105 children for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), 0.18 (CI: 0.07-0.38) per 105 children for ulcerative colitis (UC), and 0.19 (CI: 0.12-0.33) per 105 children for Crohn's disease (CD). There was a significant increase in the incidence of all PIBD types after the year 2015. Bloody diarrhea was the most common symptom, followed by abdominal pain. Perianal disease affected nine children (40.9%) with CD.
Conclusion:
The incidence of PIBD in Oman is lower than in some neighboring Gulf countries but similar to that of Saudi Arabia. An alarming upward trend was noted from the year 2015. Large-scale population-based studies are required to investigate the possible causes of this increasing incidence.
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