Epidemiology of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Songpa-Kangdong District, Seoul, Korea.

Launched by ASAN MEDICAL CENTER · Nov 21, 2012

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying the occurrence and characteristics of two types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) called Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in a specific area of Seoul, Korea. The goal is to better understand how often these diseases happen, how they progress over time, and what clinical features are common among patients. Researchers are looking for participants who have been diagnosed with either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, based on specific health criteria. For Crohn's disease, patients need to have symptoms like abdominal pain and diarrhea, along with certain test results. For ulcerative colitis, patients should have had ongoing diarrhea or blood in their stool for more than four weeks, along with findings from colonoscopy tests.

Anyone interested in participating should be Korean and meet the diagnosis criteria for at least two months. The study is currently recruiting participants of all ages and genders. Those who join can expect to undergo evaluations that help researchers gather information about their condition. It’s important to note that individuals with IBD that cannot be clearly classified or from ethnic backgrounds other than Korean will not be eligible to participate. This research could lead to a deeper understanding of IBD, which may help improve treatments in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Definite cases of CD and UC
• Patients are diagnosed with CD if they meet at least 2 of the following criteria:
• • 1. clinical history of abdominal pain, weight loss, malaise, diarrhea, and/or rectal bleeding
• • 2. endoscopic findings of mucosal cobblestoning, linear ulceration, skip areas, or perianal disease
• • 3. radiologic findings of stricture, fistula, mucosal cobblestoning, or ulceration
• • 4. macroscopic appearance of bowel wall induration, mesenteric lymphadenopathy, and "creeping fat" at laparotomy
• • 5. pathologic findings of transmural inflammation and/or epithelioid granulomas
• • Only patients who meet these criteria for at least 2 months are included.
• • Patients are diagnosed with UC only if all 3 of the following criteria are present
• • 1. a typical history of diarrhea or blood and pus or both in the stool for longer than 4 weeks
• • 2. a typical sigmoidoscopic or colonoscopic picture with diffusely granular, friable, or ulcerated mucosa without rectal sparing or skip lesions or radiological signs of characteristic continuous granular or ulcerated mucosa
• • 3. characteristic histopathological signs of inflammation on biopsy
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • IBD unclassified
• • Ethnic groups other than Korean