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Research Article: Characteristics of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Children: A Croatian Single-Centre Retrospective Study

Date Published: 2023-10-11

Abstract:
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), encompassing ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), are chronic gastrointestinal disorders often diagnosed in youth, presenting unique features compared to adult-onset cases. We aimed to profile pediatric IBD patients in Croatia through a retrospective analysis of children up to 18 years old diagnosed with IBD at the University Hospital of Split from 1 January 2012, to 31 December 2021, utilizing data collected during hospitalization for diagnosis. Over a decade, 107 children were diagnosed, with 43.9% having UC, 55.1% CD, and 0.9% IBD-unclassified. Median age at diagnosis was 14.1 years, with UC patients being older (14.8 vs. 13.7 years, p = 0.044). Males constituted 60.7% of patients. Median symptom duration was 2.0 months, with CD patients experiencing a longer diagnostic delay (3.0 vs. 2.0 months, p = 0.003). The median incidence rate was 9.89 (95% CI 5.93–13.84) per 100,000 children/year, varying across age groups. Median (IQR) BMI z-score was ?0.34 (?0.97–0.45). Common symptoms included diarrhea (60.7%) and abdominal pain (50.5%), with rectal bleeding more prevalent in UC (72.3% vs. 32.2%, p < 0.001). While our study offers valuable insights into pediatric IBD in Croatia, further prospective research is needed to clarify disease progression and development.

Introduction:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises chronic inflammatory conditions affecting the digestive system, including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) [1]. These conditions are distinguished through clinical, endoscopic, histological, and radiological criteria, with fewer than 10% of cases categorized as indeterminate colitis [2]. UC primarily causes inflammation and ulcers in the colon and rectum [3], while CD exhibits a segmental distribution, affecting the entire gastrointestinal tract from mouth…

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