Background: The ECCO-EpiCom study investigates the differences in the incidence, disease characteristics, and therapeutic strategy of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) between Eastern and Western Europe. Our aim was to analyse differences in the 2-and 3-year outcomes between Eastern Europe and Western Europe/Australia in the 2011 ECCO-EpiCom cohort. Methods: In the study, 8 Western European, 5 Eastern European and 1 Australian Centre participated in the 2- and 3-year follow-up. Patients’ data on medical therapy, surgery, and hospitalisations were registered in the web-based ECCO-EpiCom database. Results: In total, 319 IBD patients (Crohn’s disease (CD): 126, ulcerative colitis (UC): 160, IBD unclassified: 33; 234 patients from Western Europe/Australia and 85 patients from Eastern Europe; median age at diagnosis: 38.2 years (range: 15.1–88.6); F/M: 137/182) have completed the 2-year and 269 IBD patients completed the 3-year follow-up. During the 2- and 3-year follow-up period, 24 (67%) and 24 (75%) CD patients from Eastern Europe and 54 (60%) and 56 (68%) from Western Europe/Australia received IS (immunosuppressives) (p = NS). 5 (14%) and 5 (16%) CD patients from Eastern Europe and 27 (30%) and 29 (35%) from Western Europe/Australia received biological therapy (p2-year = 0.06 and p3-year = 0.04). Nine (25%) and 9 (28%) CD patients from Eastern Europe and 9 (10%) and 9 (11%) CD patients from Western Europe/ Australia underwent surgery (p2-year = 0.03 and p3-year = 0.02). Twelve (33%) and 12 (38%) CD patients from Eastern Europe and 26 (29%) and 28 (34%) from Western Europe/Australia were hospitalised (p2-year = 0.62 and p3-year = 0.70). During the 2- and 3-year follow-up period, about a third of the UC patients received IS in both Eastern Europe and Western Europe/Australia 3-year followup: Eastern Europe: 12 (39%) Western Europe/Australia: 33 (34%) p = NS.
Vegh et al. (Wed,) studied this question.