Osteodensitometry in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease

To evaluate the quantity and severity of bone disorders in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to examine the correlation to whole body growth. In this study 89 bone mineral density measurements were performed and retrospectively analyzed. Under consideration of growth retardation, over 65.2 % of the patients with Cohn's disease showed a reduced bone mineral density. Osteopenia/Osteoporosis is seldom seen in patients with ulcerative colitis, i. e., only 34.8 % showed a reduction in bone mineral density. Growth retardation and reduced bone mineral density are correlated. Patients with Cohn's disease and a body length below the 25th height percentile showed a reduced bone mineral density in 78.1 % of the cases. Patients with a body length below the 10th height percentile had a reduced bone mineral density in 83.3 % of the cases. These results demonstrate the value of osteodensitometric measurements in patients with chronic diseases, especially in children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.