Department Of Gastroenterology – University Hospital – Fez, Morocco
Introduction: The frequency of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) (Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)), is higher in the countries of North (Europe and the USA) and the industrialized countries. Africa is regarded as a continent of weak incidence. However the frequency of the infectious colitis and the insufficiency of the medical systems in these countries make difficult the estimate of the prevalence of the IBD. The objective of our work is to describe the epidemiologic and sociodemographic characteristics patients presenting one IBD included in our department.
Patients and Methods: Our study is retrospective descriptive relating to 441 cases of MICI including 249 case of UC (56.5%) and 192 cases of CD (43.5%) collected with the service of gastro-enterology of Hassan II UH of Fez over one 10 years period (2001 – 2010). Epidemiologic data were analyzed using the software “Epi-Info” made it possible to appreciate: Identity, age, sex, origin, toxic antecedents (tobacco) of the patients, and family concept of IBD.
Results: The Middle Age of beginning of the disease was of 32.6 ± 13 years [15 – 85] for the CD and of 35.7 ± 13 years [14 – 87] for the UC. The sex ratio Woman/man was of 0.6 for the two groups. With for the CD 62.5% from woman and 37, 5% of man, and for the UC: 60% of women and 40% of men. The concept of active nicotinism was found in 31 case (16%) and 25 cases (10%) for the CD and the UC respectively. The majority of the patients lived in urban environment (80, %). A family Antecedent of IBD was found in 2 cases (1%) for the CD and in 9 cases (3, 6%) for the UC.
Conclusion: Our study contributes to better knowing the epidemiology of the IBD in Morocco. Our series has shown a young age of beginning of the disease, a female prevalence and a majority town population. However, only the creation of a national register of the IBD will make it possible to determine with exactitude the epidemiologic characteristics of this pathology, and to improve the assumption of responsibility of it.