Rising incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Scotland

Citation

Henderson P, Hansen R, Cameron F, Gerasimidis K, Rogers P, Bisset MW, Reynish E, Drummond H, Anderson NH, Van Limbergen J, Russell RK, Satsangi J & Wilson DC (2012) Rising incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in Scotland. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 18 (6), pp. 999-1005. https://doi.org/10.1002/ibd.21797

Abstract
Background: An accurate indication of the changing incidence of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) within a population is useful in understanding concurrent etiological factors. We aimed to compare the current incidence and other demographic attributes of PIBD in the Scottish population to previous data.  Methods: A national cohort of prospectively and retrospectively acquired incident cases of PIBD diagnosed less than 16 years old in pediatric services in Scotland was captured for the period 2003-2008; historical Scottish data were used for comparison (1990-1995). Age/sex-adjusted incidences were calculated and statistical comparisons made using Poisson regression.  Results: During the 2003-2008 study period 436 patients were diagnosed with PIBD in Scotland, giving an adjusted incidence of 7.82/100,000/year. The incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) was 4.75/100,000/year, ulcerative colitis (UC) 2.06/100,000/year, and inflammatory bowel disease-unclassified (IBDU) 1.01/100,000/year. Compared with data from 1990-1995 when 260 IBD patients were diagnosed, significant rises in the incidence of IBD (from 4.45/100,000/year, P < 0.0001), CD (from 2.86/100,000/year, P < 0.0001), and UC (from 1.59/100,000/year, P = 0.023) were seen. There was also a significant reduction in the median age at IBD diagnosis from 12.7 years to 11.9 years between the periods (P = 0.003), with a continued male preponderance.  Conclusions: The number of Scottish children diagnosed with IBD continues to rise, with a statistically significant 76% increase since the mid-1990s. Furthermore, PIBD is now being diagnosed at a younger age. The reason for this continued rise is not yet clear; however, new hypotheses regarding disease pathogenesis and other population trends may provide further insights in future years.

Journal
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Volume 18, Issue 6