Background and aim: A growing incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been reported recently in southern Europe, with records of pediatric cases confirming these tendencies in Spain. Data on adult populations, however, have not been provided for over 10 years and need to be updated.
Patients and methods: A multicenter retrospective registry of all adult patients with a diagnosis of IBD, including both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), attending five public hospitals covering a population of 514 368 inhabitants, was assessed.
Results: In 2012, the prevalence of CD and UC in adults was 137.17/100 000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval 114-160) and 99.84/100 000 inhabitants (95% confidence interval 79-119), respectively. The mean incidence rate during the period 2000-2012 of CD and UC was 8.9 and 5.6/100 000 inhabitants per year, respectively. Most of our patients (75.55%) had been diagnosed during the last 13 years. CD affected both sexes equally; a trend toward a progressive increase in the age at diagnosis, ileal location, and inflammatory behavior was documented for CD patients. In contrast, UC affected male patients with a higher frequency (57.8%; P=0.015), specifically those older than 40 years of age. Age at UC onset tended to increase progressively from 2000 to 2012 (P<0.001), but the extension on the disease remained unchanged.
Conclusion: IBD is a highly prevalent disorder in our region, reaching the incidence of CD similar to the figures provided for Northern Europe. Changes in IBD localization, behavior, and age at diagnosis were documented during the period 2000-2012.