[Frequency of anemia in ulcerative colitis in children].

Unlabelled: Anemia is one of most frequent complication of ulcerative colitis. It affects patients in the exacerbation of the disease as well as in the remission. It may be caused by the loss of the blood, the disturbances of intestinal absorption or deficient diet. The aim of the study was to estimate the rate of anemia in children with ulcerative colitis during first hospitalization.

Material And Methods: The study comprised 36 children aged 2.5 to 18 years, 23 girls and 13 boys in whom ulcerative colitis was diagnosed based on the Porto criteria. Anemia in children was assessed depending on the age, period between first symptoms and diagnosis of the disease and on the activity of the disease according to PUCAI scale.

Results: Anemia was diagnosed in 72.2% of the children. Hemoglobin concentration ranged from 6.3 to 12.4 g/dl, average 10.05 g/dl depending on age. Activity of the disease according to PUCAI scale amounted to 5 to 80 points, average 51.9 points. Time from first symptoms to the diagnosis of the disease extended from one week to 12 months, average 3.6 months. In children without anemia the average concentration of hemoglobin was 13.2 g/dl, the activity of the disease 33.5 points and average time before diagnosis - 1.7 months.

Conclusions: Anemia is a frequent symptom of ulcerative colitis in children. The presence of anemia depends on the disease activity and on the time between first symptoms and diagnosis of the disease. There is a necessity of iron supplementation in children with anemia despite effective anti-inflammatory treatment.