Inflammatory bowel disease in Icelandic children 1951–2010. Population-based study involving one nation over six decades

Abstract Aim and background. We describe the changes in incidence and disease location of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children in one country over six decades. Iceland is an island with centralized health information. Children with IBD are cared for in only two hospitals. Iceland is therefore well suited for nationwide epidemiologic studies. Material and methods. All IBD patients 16 years and younger diagnosed in Iceland from 1950–2010 were included. Patients were identified retrospectively from 1950–1989, and propectively from 1990–2010, by reviewing pathology and charts for all patients diagnosed with IBD. Criteria for the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC) were history of blood in stools for >3 weeks, characteristic endoscopic appearance of continuous inflammation of the colon, and histologic appearance of acute and chronic inflammation of the colon without granulomata. Criteria of Crohn's disease (CD) were history of abdominal pain, blood in stools, and endoscopic, radiologic, and histologic...