Background: There are little data on the epidemiological and clinical features of adult patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) in the different Italian regions, mainly derived from the absence of a national registry. This prevents correct interpretation of the disease burden.
Aim: To assess the main clinical and epidemiological features of adult patients diagnosed with UC in Sardinia, Italy.
Methods: We performed a multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study that included adult patients with UC enrolled in seven gastroenterology unit centers in Sardinia. Data were obtained from the patients' medical records and from a questionnaire administered at the inclusion visit.
Results: Four hundred and forty-two patients with UC were included. The median age at diagnosis was 39 years (interquartile range 28-48). After a median disease duration of 10 years, 53 patients experienced proximal extension of proctitis or left-sided colitis. Seventy-five patients developed extraintestinal manifestations. Nineteen patients (4.3%) developed cancer: two with colorectal cancer and seventeen with extracolonic cancers. Mesalazine (5-ASA) remains the mainstay of treatment for UC. Overall, 95 patients (21.5%) were treated with one or more biologic agents, whereas 15 patients (3.4%) underwent surgery, mostly colectomy.
Conclusion: Our results provide important insights into the clinical and epidemiological features of patients with UC, and while waiting for a national Italian registry, present eligible data on the UC population in Sardinia.
Keywords: Epidemiology; Inflammatory bowel disease-basic; Inflammatory bowel disease-clinical; Natural history; Treatment; Ulcerative colitis.
©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.