Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr.  2014 Sep;17(3):147-154. 10.5223/pghn.2014.17.3.147.

Gender Differences in Paediatric Patients of the Swiss Inflammatory Bowel Disease Cohort Study

• Herzog D
• Buehr P
• Koller R
• Rueger V
• Heyland K
• Nydegger A
• Spalinger
• Schibli S
• Braegger C
• The Swiss IBD Cohort Study Group

• KMID: 1803114
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5223/pghn.2014.17.3.147

Abstract

PURPOSE
Gender differences in paediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are frequently reported as a secondary outcome and the results are divergent. To assess gender differences by analysing data collected within the Swiss IBD cohort study database since 2008, related to children with IBD, using the Montreal classification for a systematic approach.
METHODS
Data on gender, age, anthropometrics, disease location at diagnosis, disease behaviour, and therapy of 196 patients, 105 with Crohn's disease (CD) and 91 with ulcerative or indeterminate colitis (UC/IC) were retrieved and analysed.
RESULTS
The crude gender ratio (male : female) of patients with CD diagnosed at <10 years of age was 2.57, the adjusted ratio was 2.42, and in patients with UC/IC it was 0.68 and 0.64 respectively. The non-adjusted gender ratio of patients diagnosed at > or =10 years was 1.58 for CD and 0.88 for UC/IC. Boys with UC/IC diagnosed <10 years of age had a longer diagnostic delay, and in girls diagnosed with UC/IC >10 years a more important use of azathioprine was observed. No other gender difference was found after analysis of age, disease location and behaviour at diagnosis, duration of disease, familial occurrence of IBD, prevalence of extra-intestinal manifestations, complications, and requirement for surgery.
CONCLUSION
CD in children <10 years affects predominantly boys with a sex ratio of 2.57; the impact of sex-hormones on the development of CD in pre-pubertal male patients should be investigated.

Keyword

Gender difference; Paediatric inflammatory bowel disease; Male preponderance

MeSH Terms

Azathioprine
Child
Classification
Cohort Studies*
Colitis
Crohn Disease
Diagnosis
Female
Humans
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases*
Male
Prevalence
Sex Ratio
Ulcer
Azathioprine

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