Surgery for Crohn's disease in Greece: a follow-up study of 79 cases.

Background/aims: The aim of this prospective study was to elucidate the clinical features, indications for surgery and long-term outcome of a series of 79 Greek patients operated on for Crohn's disease.

Methodology: The clinical features and follow-up of 79 out of 155 patients with definite diagnosis of Crohn's disease (51%), who were operated on at least once during the course of their disease, are analyzed. Three main locations of the disease were identified (small bowel, large bowel and small and large bowel).

Ulcerative colitis in the elderly: clinical patterns and outcome in 51 Greek patients.

Purpose: In this study, the clinical characteristics and course of all patients with ulcerative colitis in whom diagnosis of the disease was made at or after the age of 60 (older group), were analyzed and compared with those of patients with ulcerative colitis in whom diagnosis of the disease was made before the age of 60 (younger group).

Methods: The older group consisted of 51 patients (28 men and 23 women; aged 64+/-3.1 years) and the younger group consisted of 362 patients (192 men and 170 women; aged 38.