Inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia: a hospital-based clinical study of 312 patients.

Ann Saudi Med 2012 May-June www.annsaudimed.net 276 Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), primarily affecting the small and large intestines. Although many current hypotheses implicate a combination of environmental, genetic, and immunoregulatory factors, the exact cause of these two major subtypes remains unclear. These chronic diseases are associated with increased morbidity, frequent relapses and exacerbations, and consequently a decreased quality of life.1 Temporal changes in the incidence of IBD have been reported in different regions in the world.2-7 The incidence of IBD has either continued to increase or has stabilized at a high rate in most developed countries, whereas the incidence has continued to increase in regions where the IBD has been considered less common. The therapeutic strategies are broadly similar in UC Inflammatory bowel disease in Saudi Arabia: a hospital-based clinical study of 312 patients