Risk factors for urolithiasis in patients with Crohn's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk factors for urolithiasis in patients with Crohn's disease. METHODS: This retrospective study included 1071 patients with Crohn's disease who were treated at a single center. Data pertaining to the following variables were analyzed: sex; age; type of Crohn's disease; number of intestinal resections; residual small intestine length; ileostomy; history of glucocorticoid therapy; and duration of Crohn's disease treatment. RESULTS: Of the 1071 patients, 34 (28 male and six female) had urolithiasis (urolithiasis group) and 1037 (711 male and 326 female) did not (non-urolithiasis group). The median residual small intestine length measured in the urolithiasis group (280.0 cm) was significantly shorter than that in the non-urolithiasis group (342.5 cm; P < 0.01). Significantly more patients in the urolithiasis group (14/34) received steroid medication than those in the non-urolithiasis group (213/1037; P < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, male sex (odds ratio 3.15; P < 0.05), history of glucocorticoid therapy (odds ratio 3.07; P < 0.05), and shorter residual small intestine length (odds ratio 0.99; P < 0.01) were risk factors for the development of urolithiasis in patients with Crohn's disease. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that male sex, history of glucocorticoid therapy, and shorter residual small intestine length are risk factors for urolithiasis in patients with Crohn's disease.