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English
Tawfik M. Shembesh, Fakhri M. Akhleifa
Dept. of medicine, faculty of medicine, Garyounis university, Libya
Arab J Gastroenterol. Vol. 5, No. 2, December 2004
Abstract
In this study we present our experience with 30 cases of Crohn’s disease seen during 6 years period, from 1995-to 2001, at a gastroenterology follow up clinic in Benghazi. 18 patients were male (60%) and 12 patients were female (40%), all are Libyan with an age range of 8 to 56 years. In most patients (63,3 %) the disease onset was at or before the age of 30 years. In only 13.3% of patients the onset was at or above the age of4O years , while 23,3% of patients were affected before the age of 20 years. Strong family history of inflammatory bowel disease was elicited in 20 % of patients. The disease duration at diagnosis ranged from one month to 16 months. The primary site of involvement was ileocolonic in 43.3% of patients, colonic in 23.3% of patients, ileal in 20 % of patients, perianal in 6.6% of patients and gastroduodenal in 6.6% of patients. Significant weight loss, Chronic lower abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea were the dominant symptoms, seen in 93.3%, 86.6% and 80 % of patients respectively. Surgical intervention was carried out in 22 patients (73.3%). Extraintestinal manifestations were seen in 20 % of patients. Our data were fairly comparable to that of the international literature.
Keywords: Crohn’s Disease : Benghazi Experience
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