Introduction: IBD is a systemic disease associated with a number of extraintestinal manifestations (EIM). The author's aim was to determine the prevalence and features of EIM in a large IBD population in Veszprém county in a 25-year follow-up study.
Patients and methods: 873 IBD patients were enrolled in the study (UC: 619, m/f: 317/302, age at presentation: 38.3 yrs, disease duration: 11.2 yrs; CD: 254, m/f: 125/129, age at presentation: 32.5 yrs, disease duration: 9.2 yrs). Intestinal, extraintestinal symptoms and laboratory tests were monitored regularly. Any alteration suggesting an EIM was investigated by specialist.
Results: A total of 21.3% of patients with IBD patients had EIM (UC: 15.0%, CD: 36.6%). Age at presentation did not affect the likelihood of EIM. Prevalence of EIM was higher in women and in CD, ocular complications and PSC were more frequent in UC. In UC there was an increased tendency of EIM in patients having a more extensive disease. In CD patients colonic location increased the frequency of axial and type-1 peripheral arthritis. In UC positive family history increased the risk of joint (OR: 3.63) complications. Joint complications were more frequent in CD (22.4%) than in UC (10.2%, p < 0.01). PSC was present in 1.6% in UC and 0.8% in CD. Dermatological complications were present in 3.8% in UC and 10.2% in CD, the rate of ocular complications was around 3% in both diseases. Erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangrenosum and uveitis were the most frequent manifestations among them. Rare complications were glomerulonephritis, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and celiac disease.
Conclusion: The prevalence of EIM in Hungarian IBD patients was in concordance with data from Western countries. The high number of EIM supports a role for complex follow-up in these patients.