Background: No data on mortality for Crohn's disease are available from southern Europe.
Methods: Five hundred and thirty-one patients with Crohn's disease were observed in our unit between 1973 and 1993. In 325 patients the first diagnosis was made in our hospital. In this consecutive incidence series, in which the follow-up was 99% complete, the standardized mortality rate (SMR) was calculated.
Results: Nine deaths were observed, against 9.25 expected. The SMR was 0.97 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.4-1.8). The relative risk of dying was significantly higher in the female group in the first 5 years after diagnosis (SMR, 10.3; 95% CI, 2.30-30.2). There was an excess of deaths from tumors of the digestive organs (1 observed, 0.37 expected).
Conclusions: These results show that in our geographic area the mortality from Crohn's disease was not increased as shown in other community studies.