Relation between histopathological findings, clinical severity, and the need of surgery in patients with Crohn's disease. / Relación entre los hallazgos histopatológicos, la severidad clínica y la necesidad de cirugía en pacientes con enfermedad de Crohn.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Defining histological variables that make it possible to establish the activity of Crohn's disease (CD) and predict the patients who may present a higher risk of clinical complications and surgical interventions could lead to timely adjustments in medical therapy and elective surgeries that represent a lower risk of complications. The purpose of the study is to determine the relation between the histopathological findings using the Naini and Cortina (N&C) score, the clinical severity, and the indication for surgery in a group of patients with CD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study of 44 patients diagnosed with CD, treated at the San Vicente Fundación University Hospital in Medellín, Colombia, between 2010 and 2022. RESULTS: Of the 44 patients, 36 ileum samples and 34 colon samples were obtained. Of the patients with inflammatory behavior, 87.5% did not have surgical intervention (P=.022), a value that remained significant in the ileum subgroup (P=.0058). 91.3% of the patients with ileal involvement did not develop perianal disease (P=.01). Granulomas only occurred in two patients with a colon sample (5.8%). In the histological score of N&C both in the ileum and in the colon, no statistically significant differences were obtained in relation to the surgical outcome (P=.34 and P=.054, respectively). CONCLUSION: The histological index of N&C was not a predictor in Crohn's disease (CD) related to the surgical outcome.