Changes in chronic idiopathic ulcerative colitis epidemiological pattern in Mexico in a tertiary care hospital.

Background: Chronic idiopathic ulcerative colitis (CIUC) is a disease with multifactorial chronic inflammation of the colonic mucosa. Its prevalence ranges from 37.5-250/100,000 in North America to 10-500/100,000 in Europe. In Mexico, there are studies that show an increase in the frequency of new cases. The purpose of this work was to identify possible changes in CIUC behavior in a referral hospital.

Methods: New ulcerative colitis (UC) cases confirmed by histopathology from January 2007 to December 2014 were included. Clinical and demographic data were collected through the review of medical records and direct interview in order to compare them with a previous study conducted at the same institution from January 1986 to December 2006.

Results: A total of 189 patients were included. Mean number of UC annual new cases was 23.6. The study included 95 male patients (50 %) and 94 female patients (50 %), with an average age of 44.6 years at diagnosis. The frequency of pancolitis was 77 %, in comparison with 59 % in the previous period. Extra-intestinal manifestations (EIM) were present in 55.8 % and colectomies in 5.2 %.

Conclusion: There is a lower mean of annual new cases; however, some characteristics of the disease have changed over time: there is an increased frequency of pancolitis and EIM, as well as a decrease in the rate of colectomies.