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211 THE OUTCOME OF ORAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CROHN'S DISEASE IN CHILDREN S Hussey1,2, M Rowland2, P Fleming3, A Broderick1,2, B Drumm1,2, B Bourke1,2 BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prevalence of oral manifestations of Crohn's disease (CD) at diagnosis is well documented. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of oral Crohn's disease (OCD) over time.
1Department of Gastroenterology; 2Children's Research Centre and 3Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland
METHODS: Thirty one patients with OCD were enrolled during the eight year prospective study period. Patients were examined by both a gastroenterologist (BB) and a single paediatric dentist (PF). At follow-up, patients' symptoms were recorded on a questionnaire and a full blood count (FBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were taken to help determine disease activity.
RESULTS: Twenty-four of thirty-one patients participated in this follow-up study (77%), comprising of seventeen boys and seven girls (M:F = 2.4:1). The mean age at follow-up was 15.7 years (SD 1.98, range 11.9-19.7 years). The mean duration of follow-up was 55 months (SD 22, range 20-97 months). Fourteen patients (58%) had oral symptoms on direct questioning, yet only seven (29%) had evidence of OCD at follow-up, including three patients with asymptomatic OCD. There were no significant differences between patients with and without OCD in respect of specific oral symptoms, disease location, medical treatments received or disease activity at follow-up.
CONCLUSION: While examination by an oral clinician may be diagnostically useful, OCD resolves in the majority of children over time, irrespective of interval disease course or current disease activity. The presence or absence of oral manifestations of CD does not mirror disease activity elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract.