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. 2025 Jan 6;31(1):52-62.
doi: 10.1093/ibd/izae073.

Changes Over Time in the Lémann Index and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Disability Index in a Prospective Cohort of Patients With Crohn's Disease

Laurine Cartier  1   2 , Apolline Loiez  1 , Maria Nachury  1   3 , Mustapha Azahaf  4 , Sofia Hambli  1 , Aurélie Blondeaux  1 , Romain Gérard  1 , Pierre Desreumaux  1 , Alexandre Louvet  1 , Pauline Wils  1   3
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Changes Over Time in the Lémann Index and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Disability Index in a Prospective Cohort of Patients With Crohn's Disease

Laurine Cartier et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is a progressive, destructive, and disabling disorder. Our study aimed to assess changes over time in the Lémann index (LI) and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Disability Index (IBD-DI) in a cohort of CD patients.

Methods: This was a single-center prospective cohort study of 130 consecutive CD patients with a follow-up of at least 4 years. The LI 1 and the IBD-DI 1 questionnaires were assessed in 2016 and again between September 2020 and October 2021 (LI 2 and IBD-DI 2).

Results: Of the 130 patients with assessment of both LI 1 and IBD-DI 1, 61 had calculation of the LI 2 and 98 patients answered the IBD-DI 2 questionnaire, with a median time between the 2 evaluations of 4.2 years. The LI increased for 16 (26%), decreased for 26 (43%), and remained unchanged for 19 (31%) patients. The median LI did not change over time (9.6 vs 9.3; P = .14). Clinical disease activity was significantly associated with bowel damage progression. A high initial LI (>7.9) was not associated with CD progression (surgery, drug dose escalation, or change of biologic). The IBD-DI decreased for 59 (60.2%), increased for 37 (37.8%), and remained unchanged for 2 (2%) patients. The median IBD-DI decreased significantly over time (23.2 vs 21.4; P = .006). There was no correlation between the 2 indexes.

Conclusions: This is the first prospective cohort study assessing changes over time in both the LI and the IBD-DI in CD patients. After 4 years, the LI appeared to be stable and the IBD-DI decreased, with no correlation between the 2 indexes.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; IBD-DI; Lémann index; bowel damage; disability.

Plain language summary

After a long period of follow-up (4 years) of patients with Crohn’s disease, bowel damages (assessed by the Lémann index) appeared stable and disability (assessed by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Disability Index) decreased, without there being any correlation between the 2 indexes over time.

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