Cutaneous manifestations in 404 Iranian patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease are relatively common, although they vary widely. AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cutaneous manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease according to their location, age, gender, activity, and type of underlying disease in an Iranian population during a 10-year period. METHODS: The medical records of 404 inpatients with inflammatory bowel disease were extracted retrospectively to detect cutaneous manifestations. RESULTS: In this study, the prevalence of cutaneous manifestations was 5.9%. These manifestations were higher in Crohn's disease (7.29%) than in ulcerative colitis (4.07%), and more frequent in females (52%) than in males (48%). Aphthous stomatitis was observed more frequently in Crohn's disease; however, pyoderma gangrenosum was seen more often in ulcerative colitis. Erythema nodosum was diagnosed only in female patients with Crohn's disease. Manifestations secondary to nutritional deficiency or associated conditions including psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders were less frequent. CONCLUSIONS: Aphthous stomatitis, pyoderma gangrenosum, and erythema nodosum were the most common skin disorders related to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which mainly occurred in women.

Comparison of cancer incidence in Iran and Iranian immigrants to British Columbia, Canada.

Migrant studies provided strong evidence about the role of environment and life style in cancer risk. Iran has experienced many immigrants to other countries with different cultures and environment. This study compares cancer incidence rates in Iran, Iranian immigrants to British Columbia (BC), Canada, and the BC general population. Cancer incidence rates were computed from two population-based cancer registries in Iran and from the BC cancer registry. A listing of common Iranian surnames and given names was produced to identify Iranian immigrants within the BC cancer registry. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) were calculated using mid year census data. The overall cancer incidence rate for Iranian female immigrants was intermediate between rates for Iran and the BC general population, and the rate for Iranian male immigrants was lower as compared to the other population groups. For female Iranian immigrants, the incidence of breast cancer was increased four-fold, and for colorectal cancer two-fold, as compared to Iranian rates. A dramatic decrease was found in the incidence of both stomach and oesophageal cancers for Iranian immigrants of both sexes. For male Iranian immigrants, the incidence of prostate cancer was increased as compared to Iranian rates. Differences in incidence rates of specific cancers were observed between BC Iranian immigrants and Iran, with cancer patterns in Iranian immigrants being more similar to the BC general population. This warrants further investigation into differences in lifestyle and cancer detection.