Long-Term Evolution of Disease Behavior of Crohn's Disease

The Vienna classification of Crohn's disease (CD) distinguishes three patient subgroups according to disease behavior: stricturing, penetrating, and inflammatory. Our aim was to assess the long-term evolution of the disease behavior of CD and to determine the predictive factors and prognostic implications of this evolution.

Occurrence and predictive factors of a stricturing and/or a penetrating complication were searched for in 2,002 patients with CD studied retrospectively. In addition, the 1995-2000 disease course was assessed prospectively in a cohort of 646 patients with disease duration >5 years, classified according to their previous disease behavior.