Clinical characteristics and long-term prognosis of elderly onset ulcerative colitis

Background and Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with elderly onset ulcerative colitis (EOUC), a new growing subgroup of UC. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 3060 South Korean UC patients diagnosed between 1977 and 2014. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of EOUC, defined as UC in those aged ≥ 60 years at diagnosis, were compared with those of non-EOUC (NEOUC). Results: Among the 3060 patients, 226 were diagnosed with EOUC (7.4%, median age at diagnosis 65.9 years [interquartile range, 62.9–68.7 years], 58.4% male). The frequency of EOUC increased from 3.9% in the interval 1977–1999 to 9.7% in the interval 2008–2014 (P < 0.001). There were more ex-smokers in the EOUC than in the NEOUC group (44.2% vs 19.9%, P < 0.001). In the EOUC group, extensive colitis at diagnosis, and the maximum extent thereof, was less than in the NEOUC group (13.7% vs 22.6%, P = 0.002, and 34.5% vs 42.5%, P = 0.011, respectively). The 10-year cumulative colectomy rate was significantly higher in the EOUC than in the NEOUC group (12.6% vs 7.7%, P = 0.015). UC-related and all-cause mortality were higher in the EOUC than in the NEOUC group (3.5% vs 0.6%, P < 0.001, and 12.4% vs 1.8%, P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Elderly onset ulcerative colitis patients are likely to exhibit distinct features both at diagnosis and during follow-up. It is necessary to pay more attention to, and to conduct further studies on, this particular group of patients.