Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2005; 11(37): 5859-5862
Published online Oct 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i37.5859
Ulcerative colitis in a multiracial Asian country: Racial differences and clinical presentation among Malaysian patients
Yan-Mei Tan, Khean-Lee Goh
Yan-Mei Tan, Khean-Lee Goh, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Professor Khean-Lee Goh, Head, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia. gohkl@um.edu.my
Telephone: +60-3-79502429 Fax: +60-3-79556936
Received: May 25, 2004
Revised: July 2, 2004
Accepted: July 5, 2004
Published online: October 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: TO determine the prevalence of ulcerative colitis (UC) in Malaysian patients and to establish the spectrum of the disease seen in Malaysian patients.

METHODS: Data were obtained retrospectively from a review of the medical records of in- and out-patients with a diagnosis of UC at the University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur between 1985 and 1998.

RESULTS: There were 45 confirmed cases of UC, of which 3 were foreigners, who were excluded from analysis. Thirty new cases of UC were diagnosed during the study period. Their mean age at presentation was 33.0 ± 10.0 years. The highest prevalence of UC was 17.9/100 000 hospital admissions in the Indians, followed by 11.2/100 000 hospital admissions in the Chinese. The lowest prevalence was 3.7/100 000 hospital admissions in the Malays. The prevalence of UC was significantly higher in the Indians and the Chinese when compared with the Malays with an OR of 4.89 (CI = 2.02-12.24; c2 = 15.45,P < 0.001) and 3.06 (CI = 1.24-7.78; c2 = 6.30; P = 0.012) respectively. The extent of colonic disease was similar in the Malay and Indian patients. In contrast, distal or left-sided colitis predominated in the Chinese with an OR of 8.17 (95%CI = 1.31-64.87; c2 = 5.53, P = 0.02). Extraintestinal manifestations were uncommon (11.9%).

CONCLUSION: UC is an uncommon disease in Malaysia, but racial differences exist. The Indians had the highest prevalence of UC with the Chinese demonstrating the least extensive disease.

Keywords: Ulcerative colitis; Asian races; Racial differences