Surgical Treatment in Childhood-onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease-A Nationwide Register-based Study of 4695 Incident Patients in Sweden 2002-2014

Children and Adolescents Diagnosed With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Are at Increased Risk of Developing Diseases With a Possible Autoimmune Pathogenesis

BACKGROUND

The development of diseases with a possible autoimmune pathogenesis is common in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In early onset IBD, it may differ but the evidence is sparse. We aimed to investigate the risk and time span from IBD diagnosis to outcomes with different associated disorders with possible autoimmune pathogenesis.

METHODS

A register-based study included all Danish patients with early onset of IBD (≤18 years) between 1980 and 2021 and 50 matched references without IBD for each case. We examined the risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, celiac disease, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and spondyloarthritis in Cox regression models.

RESULTS

In total, 6822 patients with IBD were identified, and 337 728 matched references. The median age at the time of IBD diagnosis or index date for the matched references was 16 years (25-75 percentile: 13-18 years), and the median age at the time of an outcome or at the end of follow-up was 28.1 years (25-75 percentile: 21.5-37.0 years). According to the cumulative incidence plots psoriatic arthritis, and spondyloarthritis was diagnosed approximately 10 years after the IBD onset, and the remaining outcomes later. The adjusted hazard ratio after full follow-up was 4.72 (95% CI, 3.85-5.80) for psoriatic arthritis, 5.21 (95% CI, 4.17-6.50) for spondyloarthritis, 2.77 (95% CI, 1.92-4.00) for celiac disease, 2.15 (95% CI, 1.54-3.01) for rheumatoid arthritis, 1.69 (95% CI, 1.23-2.32) and 1.64 (95% CI, 1.21-2.21) for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, respectively. For thyroid disease, it was 1.16 (95% CI, 0.97-1.40).

CONCLUSIONS

The risk estimates were significantly increased for all outcomes at the end of follow-up, except for thyroid disease, but according to the cumulative incidence plots, only psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis occurred earlier in the IBD cohort than in the matched references.

Early predictors of intestinal complications in pediatric-onset Crohn's disease: A long-term cohort study in Taiwan

PURPOSE

Identifying reliable prognostic factors for pediatric-onset Crohn's disease (CD) is important for guiding early treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of various clinical parameters for predicting long-term intestinal complications in pediatric-onset CD patients with CD in Taiwan.

METHODS

This was a single-center, retrospective study. Patients diagnosed with CD under 18 years of age at our hospital between January 1999 and December 2021 were enrolled. The baseline clinical variables and the Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index (PCDAI) were obtained. Patients were categorized into low-, medium-, or high-risk groups based on the 2020 European Crohn's and Colitis Organization and European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ECCO-ESPGHAN) guidelines. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of new intestinal complications.

RESULTS

Among 53 enrolled patients (33 males and 20 females), 8 patients (33.96%) developed intestinal complications during the follow-up period (median 6.42 years, 3.17-9.75 years). Patients in the initial ECCO-ESPGHAN medium- or high-risk group had a 4.71-fold higher risk of intestinal complications than those in the low-risk group [hazard ratio = 4.71, p = 0.023] after adjusting for PCDAI in the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis. The other clinical variables did not reach statistical significance in predicting intestinal complications. The positive and negative predictive values of the ECCO-ESPGHAN stratification method for intestinal complications were 48.15% and 80.77%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ECCO-ESPGHAN risk stratification is an effective early predictor of long-term intestinal complications in the Taiwanese population and may be used in clinical practice to guide early advanced therapy.

The need for surgery in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with biologicals

PURPOSE

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in childhood often presents with a more extensive and more aggressive disease course than adult-onset disease. We aimed to evaluate if biological treatment started in childhood decreases the need for intestinal surgery over time.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, single-center, cohort study. All pediatric patients with IBD initiated to biological therapy at the Children's Hospital, were included in the study and followed up to the first surgical procedure or re-operation in their adulthood or until 31.12.2021 when ≥ 18 of age. Data were collected from the pediatric registry of IBD patients with biologicals and medical charts.

RESULTS

A total of 207 pediatric IBD patients were identified [150 with Crohn´s disease (CD), 31 with ulcerative colitis (UC), 26 with IBD unclassified (IBDU)] of which 32.9% (n = 68; CD 49, UC 13, IBDU 6) underwent intestinal surgery. At the end of a median follow-up of 9.0 years (range 2.0-25.9), patients reached a median age of 21.4 years (range 18-36). Patients who had intestinal surgery in childhood were more likely to have IBD-related surgery also in early adulthood. The duration of the disease at induction of the first biological treatment emerged as the only risk factor, with a longer duration in the surgical group than in patients with no surgery.

CONCLUSION

Despite initiation of biological treatment, the risk of intestinal surgery remains high in pediatric IBD patients and often the need for surgery emerges after the transition to adult IBD clinics.

Incidence, Management, and Outcomes of Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Infantile-Onset Disease: An Epi-IIRN Study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In this nationwide study from the Israeli Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Nucleus, we aimed to describe the incidence of very early onset inflammatory bowel diseases (VEOIBDs) with a focus on infantile-onset disease and to compare management and disease course with older children.

METHODS

Data were retrieved from the 4 Israeli Health Maintenance Organizations covering 98% of the population. Pediatric-onset IBD was categorized as follows: adolescent onset (10 to <18 y), early onset (6 to <10 y), VEOIBD (0 to <6 y), toddler onset (2 to <6 y), and infantile onset (<2 y).

RESULTS

A total of 5243 children with 35,469 person-years of follow-up evaluation, were diagnosed with IBD during 2005 to 2020: 4444 (85%) with adolescent onset, 548 (10%) with early onset, and 251 (4.8%) with VEOIBD, of whom 81 (1.5%) had infantile onset. The incidence of pediatric-onset IBD increased from 10.8 per 100,000 in 2005 to 15.3 per 100,000 in 2019 (average annual percentage change, 2.8%; 95% CI, 2.2%-3.4%), but that of VEOIBD remained stable (average annual percentage change, 0%; 95% CI, -2.5% to 2.6%). The infantile-onset and toddler-onset groups were treated less often with biologics (36% and 35%, respectively) vs the early onset (57%) and adolescent-onset groups (53%; P < .001). The time to steroid dependency was shorter in infantile-onset (hazard ratio [HR], 2.1; 95% CI, 1.5-2.9) and toddler-onset disease (HR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.0) vs early onset and adolescent-onset disease, but time to hospitalizations, time to surgery, and growth delay were worse only in infantile-onset disease. In a multivariable model, infantile-onset patients had a higher risk for surgery (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9) and hospitalization (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.4) than the toddler-onset group.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of VEOIBD remained stable. Infantile-onset IBD had worse outcomes than older children, while toddler onset had mostly similar outcomes, despite less frequent use of biologics.

Frequent Occurrence of Perianal Disease and Granuloma Formation in Patients with Crohn's Disease and Coexistent Orofacial Granulomatosis

BACKGROUND

Orofacial granulomatosis (OFG) is an inflammatory disorder of the perioral region and oral cavity. Crohn's disease (CD) in conjunction with OFG (CD-OFG), has been suggested to constitute a phenotype of CD with distinct features at diagnosis.

AIMS

The aim of this project was to investigate whether the distinct phenotypic features of CD-OFG persist in the years following the initial diagnosis of CD.

METHODS

Clinical data were extracted from medical records covering the first 5 years post-diagnosis for a cohort of patients with CD-OFG, and were compared to those of references with CD without OFG.

RESULTS

The clinical characteristics of our cohort of patients with CD-OFG (N = 25) were evaluated in comparison to references with CD without OFG (ratio 1:2). Five years post-diagnosis, more patients with CD-OFG had a phenotype with perianal disease (cumulative incidence: 16/25, 64% vs 13/50, 26%, P = 0.002) and intestinal granulomas (cumulative incidence: 22/25, 88% vs 24/50, 48%, P = 0.0009) than patients in the CD reference group. The patients with CD-OFG were also more likely to have undergone perianal surgery (12/25, 48% vs 4/50, 8%, P = 0.0002). At the end of the observation period, more of the patients with CD-OFG were receiving combination therapy, i.e., immunomodulators and tumor necrosis factor antagonists, than those in the CD reference group (9/25, 36% vs 5/50, 10%, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The results support the notion that CD in conjunction with OFG represents a specific phenotype of CD that is characterized by frequent perianal disease, pronounced intestinal granuloma formation and a need for extensive therapy.

Enhanced Recovery Care versus Traditional Care after Surgery in Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

This study reports the outcomes of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) surgery. Children who underwent surgery for IBD at two academic referral centers from January 2016 to June 2021 were included. Preoperative counseling, early enteral feeding (Impact®, Nestlé Health Science, and early mobilization were all part of the ERAS protocol. The outcomes (timing of first defecation, postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay (LOS)) were compared to traditional perioperative regimens (non-ERAS group). Thirty-three children who had 61 abdominal surgeries for IBD were included. Forty (65.5%) surgical procedures were included in the non-ERAS group, and 21 (34.5%) were included in the ERAS group. The postoperative complication rate was significantly lower in the ERAS group than in the non-ERAS group (29.6% vs. 55%, p = 0.049). The first defecation occurred earlier in the ERAS group than in the non-ERAS group (p < 0.001). There was no significant intergroup difference in the LOS. The implementation of ERAS in pediatric IBD surgery resulted in better outcomes than traditional perioperative care, especially in terms of postoperative complication rate and bowel function recovery. Further pediatric studies are needed to validate these findings and support ERAS application in children.

Earnings during adulthood in patients with childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease: a nationwide population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

IBD with onset during childhood seems to represent a severe disease phenotype with increased morbidity. We have previously demonstrated that children with IBD have significantly lower final grades in compulsory school compared to healthy peers.

AIM

To evaluate the association of childhood-onset IBD with a later professional career and subsequent earnings METHODS: We identified 5404 individuals diagnosed with childhood-onset (<18 years) IBD between 1990 and 2014 (2818 with ulcerative colitis and 2328 with Crohn's disease) in the Swedish National Patient Register. Patients were matched with 10 general population reference individuals by sex, birth year, and place of residence (n = 51,295). Data on earnings during 1992-2017 were obtained through the longitudinal integration database for health insurance and labour market studies. Earnings were converted into Euros (inflation-adjusted to 2019). The differences in earnings between patients and general population reference individuals were calculated through quantile regression.

RESULTS

Patients with childhood-onset IBD had significantly lower annual taxable earnings from ages 20 to 30 (adjusted median annual income difference (AMAID) at age 30: -5.4% [95% CI -9.1% to -1.8%]). In particular, annual taxable earnings through early adult age were lower in patients who, during childhood, had had surgery or long-term inpatient treatment for IBD (AMAID at age 30: -16.3% [95% CI -24.7% to -7.9%]).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the negative influence of disease on earnings in early adult age was modest for patients with childhood-onset IBD. The markedly larger negative income gap from ages 20 to 30 in patients with more severe IBD during childhood should be recognised.

Role of Cross-Sectional Imaging in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

The association between radiological remission and natural history of disease in children with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is poorly known.

AIMS

(i) To assess the correlation between cross-sectional imaging (CSI) (ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging) and clinical, biomarker and endoscopic disease activity; (ii) to evaluate the impact of radiological activity on the occurrence of complications in pediatric patients with IBD.

METHODS

A retrospective study including pediatric patients with IBD and radiological follow-up of at least one year was conducted between 2003 and 2019 at the Nancy University Hospital.

RESULTS

In total, 118 patients (66 Crohn's disease (CD) and 52 ulcerative colitis (UC)) were included. Median follow-up duration was 5.2 years (range: 1.1-15.4). Seventeen (25.8%) patients with CD and 7 (13.5%) patients with UC achieved and maintained radiological remission until last follow-up. No IBD patient achieving radiological remission experienced complications or relapse. In patients not achieving radiologic remission, complications and surgery occurred in 13/49 (26.5%) and 8/49 (16.3%) patients with CD and in 5/45 (11.1%) and 5 (11.1%) subjects with UC. Among patients with CD, the association for remission status between radiological and endoscopic assessment was excellent (Cramer's V test (V) = 0.50), and moderate between radiological and either clinical (V = 0.30) or biochemical (V = 0.33) assessments. In UC, the association for remission status between radiological and either endoscopic or clinical assessments were weak (V = 0.19 and V = 0.20 respectively), and moderate (V = 0.23) between radiological and biochemical assessments.

CONCLUSION

CSI may replace endoscopic monitoring in pediatric CD. Radiological remission status predicts long-term disease outcomes.

Serious Infections in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease 2002-2017-A Nationwide Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To assess absolute and relative risks of serious infections (resulting in inpatient care) in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) compared with the general population.

STUDY DESIGN

We identified children (<18 years of age) with a first diagnosis of IBD in the Swedish nationwide health registry (2002-2017; n = 5767) and individuals from the general population matched for sex, age, calendar year, and place of residence (reference group; n = 58 418). Hazard ratios (HRs) for serious infections were estimated using Cox regression separately in children with ulcerative colitis (n = 2287), Crohn's disease (n = 2365), and IBD unclassified (n = 1115).

RESULTS

During 17 408 person-years of follow-up, 672 serious infections (38.6/1000 person-years) occurred among the children with IBD compared with 778 serious infections in the reference group (4.0/1000 person-years; adjusted HR (95% CI), 9.46 [8.53-10.5]). HRs were increased for children with ulcerative colitis 8.48 (7.21-9.98), Crohn's disease 9.30 (7.86-11.0), and IBD unclassified 12.1 (9.66-16.1). HRs were highest in the first year of follow-up (HR = 12.6 [10.7-14.9]), then decreasing to a 4.8-fold increased risk beyond 10 years of follow-up. Particularly high HRs were also seen in children with IBD undergoing surgery. Apart from a high relative risk of gastrointestinal infections resulting in hospitalization, children with IBD were also at an increased risk of opportunistic infections (HR = 11.8 [6.17-22.5]).

CONCLUSIONS

Children with IBD have an increased risk of serious infection requiring hospitalization compared with the general population.

Contemporary Risk of Surgery in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Cohorts

BACKGROUND & AIMS

We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to estimate rates and trends of colectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and of primary and re-resection in patients with Crohn's disease (CD), focusing on contemporary risks.

METHODS

Through a systematic review until September 3, 2019, we identified population-based cohort studies that reported patient-level cumulative risk of surgery in patients with UC and CD. We evaluated overall and contemporary risk (after 2000) of surgery and analyzed time trends through mixed-effects meta-regression.

RESULTS

In patients with UC (26 studies), the overall 1-, 5-, and 10-year risks of colectomy was 4.0% (95% CI, 3.3-5.0), 8.8% (95% CI, 7.7-10.0), and 13.3% (95% CI, 11.3-15.5), respectively, with a decrease in risk over time (P < .001). Corresponding contemporary risks were 2.8% (95% CI, 2.0-3.9), 7.0% (95% CI, 5.7-8.6), and 9.6% (95% CI, 6.3-14.2), respectively. In patients with CD (22 studies), the overall 1-, 5-, and 10-year risk of surgery was 18.7% (95% CI, 15.0-23.0), 28.0% (95% CI, 24.0-32.4), and 39.5% (95% CI, 33.3-46.2), respectively, with a decrease in risk over time (P < .001). Corresponding contemporary risks were 12.3% (95% CI, 10.8-14.0), 18.0% (95% CI, 15.4-21.0), and 26.2% (95% CI, 23.4-29.4), respectively. In a meta-analysis of 8 studies in patients with CD with prior resection, the cumulative risk of a second resection at 5 and 10 years after the first resection was 17.7% (95% CI, 13.5-22.9) and 31.3% (95% CI, 24.1-39.6), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-level risks of surgery have decreased significantly over time, with a 5-year cumulative risk of surgery of 7.0% in UC and 18.0% in CD in contemporary cohorts. This decrease may be related to early detection and/or better treatment.

A baseline assessment of enhanced recovery protocol implementation at pediatric surgery practices performing inflammatory bowel disease operations

BACKGROUND

Enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) have been used to improve patient outcomes and resource utilization after surgery. These evidence-based interventions include patient education, standardized anesthesia protocols, and limited fasting, but their use among pediatric populations is lagging. We aimed to determine baseline recovery practices within pediatric surgery departments participating in an ERP implementation trial for elective inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) operations.

METHODS

To measure baseline ERP adherence, we administered a survey to a staff surgeon in each of the 18 participating sites. The survey assessed demographics of each department and utilization of 21 recovery elements during patient encounter phases. Mixed-methods analysis was used to evaluate predictors and barriers to ERP element implementation.

RESULTS

The assessment revealed an average of 6.3 ERP elements being practiced at each site. The most commonly practiced elements were using minimally invasive techniques (100%), avoiding intraabdominal drains (89%), and ileus prophylaxis (72%). The preoperative phase had the most elements with no adherence including patient education, optimizing medical comorbidities, and avoiding prolonged fasting. There was no association with number of elements utilized and total number of surgeons in the department, annual IBD surgery volume, and hospital size. Lack of buy-in from colleagues, electronic medical record adaptation, and resources for data collection and analysis were identified barriers.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher intervention utilization for IBD surgery was associated with elements surgeons directly control such as use of laparoscopy and avoiding drains. Elements requiring system-level changes had lower use. The study characterizes the scope of ERP utilization and the need for effective tools to improve adoption.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

TYPE OF STUDY

Mixed-methods survey.

Validating surgical procedure codes for inflammatory bowel disease in the Swedish National Patient Register

BACKGROUND

About 50% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and about 20% of those with ulcerative colitis (UC) undergo surgery at some point during the course of the disease. The diagnostic validity of the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR) has previously been shown to be high for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but there are little data on the validity of IBD-related surgical procedure codes.

METHODS

Using patient chart data as the gold standard, surgical procedure codes registered between 1966 and 2014 in the NPR were abstracted and validated in 262 randomly selected patients with a medical diagnosis of IBD. Of these, 53 patients had reliable data about IBD-related surgery. The positive predictive value (PPV), sensitivity and specificity of the surgical procedure codes were calculated.

RESULTS

In total, 158 surgical procedure codes were registered in the NPR. One hundred fifty-five of these, representing 60 different procedure codes, were also present in the patient charts and validated using a standardized form. Of the validated codes 153/155 were concordant with the patient charts, corresponding to a PPV of 96.8% (95%CI = 93.9-99.1). Stratified in abdominal, perianal and other surgery, the corresponding PPVs were 94.1% (95%CI = 88.7-98.6), 100% (95%CI = 100-100) and 98.1% (95%CI = 93.1-100), respectively. Of 164 surgical procedure codes in the validated patient charts, 155 were registered in the NPR, corresponding to a sensitivity of the surgical procedure codes of 94.5% (95%CI = 89.6-99.3). The specificity of the NPR was 98.5% (95%CI = 97.6-100).

CONCLUSIONS

Data on IBD-related surgical procedure codes are reliable, with the Swedish National Patient Register showing a high sensitivity and specificity for such surgery.

The impact of anti-TNFα therapy on colectomy rates and corticosteroid treatment among 3001 paediatric and adolescent patients with ulcerative colitis-a nationwide study from 1995 to 2015

BACKGROUND

The long-term effects of anti-TNFα therapy in ulcerative colitis are debatable.

AIM

To examine whether anti-TNFα therapy changed the colectomy proportion and reduced the use of corticosteroids.

METHODS

A nationwide cohort study among patients (age 0-20) diagnosed with ulcerative colitis through 1995-2015 from Danish health registries. We calculated the cumulative 5-year risk of colectomy after diagnosis and used a Cox regression model for comparison between a historical pre-anti-TNFα cohort 1 (1995-2003) and a cohort 2 for the era of anti-TNFα (2004-2015). Based on anti-TNFα users, defined as patients who had at least four anti-TNFα treatments within 4 months, we examined the subsequent need for corticosteroids.

RESULTS

We identified 3001 patients from 1995 to 2015. The 5-year cumulative proportion of colectomy in cohort 2 was 9.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.4-11.1) and 12.3% (95% CI 10.4-14.6) in cohort 1. The adjusted 5-year hazard ratio (HR) was 0.76 (95% CI 0.60-0.96) for colectomy in cohort 2 compared to cohort 1. A total of 334 patients received anti-TNFα treatments, and 16.8% (56/334) were prescribed corticosteroids in the subsequent 3-month period. Corticosteroid treatment declined with follow-up after 6 and 12 months, 5.4% and 1.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In patient's ≤20 years, the HR for colectomy within a period of 5 years from the time of diagnosis was reduced in the era of anti-TNFα compared to a historical cohort. In patients treated with anti-TNFα, prescriptions of corticosteroids were virtually ceased after 12 months.

Effects of Childhood-onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease on School Performance: A Nationwide Population-based Cohort Study Using Swedish Health and Educational Registers

BACKGROUND

Childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) might negatively impact academic school performance. We conducted a nationwide study to examine the association between childhood-onset IBD and school results.

METHODS

Our study population was selected from Swedish health registers. In the National Patient Register (1990 to 2013), we identified 2827 children with IBD: Crohn's disease (CD), n = 1207, and ulcerative colitis (UC), n = 1370. Patients were matched with 10 reference individuals by age, sex, birth year, and place of residence (n = 28,235). Final compulsory school grades (0 to 320 grade points) and qualification for high school (yes or no) were obtained through the National School Register. Regression models controlling for socioeconomic factors were used to analyze the association of IBD with school performance.

RESULTS

Children with IBD had a lower final grade point average (adjusted mean grade difference [AMGD] -4.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] -7.1 to -2.6) but not a significantly higher risk to not qualify for high school (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, CI 0.99-1.31). The results were similar in children with UC (AMGD -5.5, CI -8.7 to -2.3) and CD (AMGD -4.7, CI -8.2 to -1.2). Underperformance was more common in subsets of IBD children characterized by markers associated with long-standing active disease (eg, >30 inpatient days [AMGD-18.1, CI -25.8 to -10.4]).

CONCLUSION

Most children with IBD achieve comparable results in the final year of compulsory school as their healthy peers. Care should be improved for the subgroup of children for which IBD has a stronger negative impact on school performance.

Increased prevalence of anti-TNF therapy in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease is associated with a decline in surgical resections during childhood

BACKGROUND

Anti-tumour necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF) therapy use has risen in paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD). Whether this has translated into preventing/delaying childhood surgery is uncertain. The Wessex PIBD cohort was analysed for trends in anti-TNF-therapy and surgery.

AIM

To assess patients diagnosed with PIBD within Wessex from 1997 to 2017. The prevalence of anti-TNF-therapy and yearly surgery rates (resection and perianal) during childhood (<18 years) were analysed (Pearson's correlation, multivariate regression, Fisher's exact).

RESULTS

Eight-hundred-and-twenty-five children were included (498 Crohn's disease, 272 ulcerative colitis, 55 IBD-unclassified), mean age at diagnosis 13.6 years (1.6-17.6), 39.6% female. The prevalence of anti-TNF-treated patients increased from 5.1% to 27.1% (2007-2017), P = 0.0001. Surgical resection-rate fell (7.1%-1.5%, P = 0.001), driven by a decrease in Crohn's disease resections (8.9%-2.3%, P = 0.001). Perianal surgery and ulcerative colitis resection-rates were unchanged. Time from diagnosis to resection increased (1.6-2.8 years, P = 0.028) but mean age at resection was unchanged. Patients undergoing resections during childhood were diagnosed at a younger age in the most recent 5 years (2007-2011 = 13.1 years, 2013-2017 = 11.9 years, P = 0.014). Resection-rate in anti-TNF-therapy treated (16.1%) or untreated (12.2%) was no different (P = 0.25). Patients started on anti-TNF-therapy <3 years post-diagnosis (11.6%) vs later (28.6%) had a reduction in resections, P = 0.047. Anti-TNF-therapy prevalence was the only significant predictor of resection-rate using multivariate regression (P = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of anti-TNF-therapy increased significantly, alongside a decrease in surgical resection-rate. Patients diagnosed at younger ages still underwent surgery during childhood. Anti-TNF-therapy may reduce the need for surgical intervention in childhood, thereby influencing the natural history of PIBD.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Baby to Baby Boomer: Pediatric and Elderly Onset of IBD

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Early- and late-onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may perhaps be etiologically distinct and potentially attributed to genetics, environmental or microbial factors. We review disease factors and clinical characteristics, as well as unique management and treatment strategies to consider when caring for the "baby" or "baby boomer" with IBD.

RECENT FINDINGS

Around 25% of cases of initial diagnosis of IBD is made before the age of 18 years old, and another 15-20% made after the age of 60. Crohn's disease (CD) typically presents as ileocolonic and stricturing or penetrating phenotype among early-onset, whereas among late-onset, it is mainly colonic and inflammatory. Pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) is mostly pan-colonic versus primarily left-sided among the elderly. Treatment goal for both age groups is primarily symptom control, with growth and development also considered among pediatric patients. Due to alterations in pharmacokinetics, careful monitoring and reduced dose should be considered. A multidisciplinary care team is necessary to ensure better clinical outcomes. Onset of disease at either spectrum of age requires careful management and treatment, with both unique disease- and age-appropriate factors carefully considered.