[Mucoviscidosis: comparative analysis of epidemiological data of French and North American registries]

A national registry for cystic fibrosis was established in France in 1993. A questionnaire is sent once a year to different health care units. The first questionnaire was analyzed in 1992: 1,893 patients (53% males) were identified. 28% were over 15 years of age, 13% more than 20, and 1% over 35. Usually, diagnosis had been suggested by respiratory signs, followed by digestive tract signs and growth impairment and meconial ileus. 13% were diagnosed in screening programmes. Diagnosis was made before 1 year in 66% of the subjects (mean = 7 months). All the data collected and the functional and bacteriologic data were compared with those observed in the United States and Canada. It should also be noted that 38 patients were grafted during this study year and that it is too early to analyze the general outcome for all subjects. The creation of this registry is an important step towards a better understanding of the epidemiology of cystic fibrosis in the French population.