Calculation of the Lémann index at initial presentation of Crohn's disease in a sample of Iraqi patients attending gastroenterology and hepatology teaching hospital.

Introduction: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that may involve any part of the alimentary tract from mouth to anus and is characterized by periods of clinical remission alternating with periods of recurrence. Current clinical and endoscopic indices only measure disease activity at a specific time point. The recently published Lémann index (LI) is the first tool that aims to measure cumulative structural bowel damage and thus evaluates long-term disability.

Aim of study: To measure the LI at initial presentation of CD in a sample of Iraqi patients attending the gastroenterology and hepatology teaching hospital (Baghdad).

Patients and methods: This is a descriptive single-center study conducted in gastroenterology and hepatology teaching hospital and enrolled 30 patients with CD diagnosed from 2013 to 2015. They all underwent complete physical examination, abdominopelvic CT scan, upper endoscopy, and colonoscopy upon diagnosis for the purpose of assessing bowel damage by the LI.

Results: For the 30 patients included, median LI was 1.3 (range 0.2-12.6).

Conclusions: The LI is now available and it enables, for the first time, assessment of bowel damage in CD.