Are perineal and luminal fistulas associated in Crohns disease?
Tang LY; Rawsthorne P; Bernstein CN Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. BACKGROUND & AIMS: We aimed to determine the frequency of fistulizing Crohn’s disease (CD) and the relationship between perineal and luminal fistulas. METHODS: A population-based retrospective study was conducted by using the University of Manitoba Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Registry. In 2003 there were 3192 IBD patients, 1595 had (CD), and 398 patients reported stricturing or fistulizing disease. Patients were interviewed and medical records were reviewed for phenotype assessment. Perineal fistulas were defined as those exiting in the perineum or fistulizing to sexual organs. Luminal fistulas were defined as arising from the bowel to organs other than the perineum. RESULTS: The prevalence of fistulizing CD was at most 22.1%. Of the 398 patients, 280 CD patients were eligible for full phenotype verification. Of these, 50 patients had both perineal and lumina
