To explore the effects of diagnostic delay on early disease course of Crohn′s disease (CD), and to analyze the risk factors related with the progress of early disease course.

From December 2014 to July 2017, a total of 56 patients in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University initially diagnosed as CD were selected. The clinical manifestation, previous history, imaging examination, endoscopic examination and pathological results of the patients were collected after initial diagnosis of CD. CD-related surgery, CD-related rehospitalization and use of immunomodulators were followed. According to time interval between initial symptom onset and initial diagnosis, the patients were divided into diagnostic delay group (diagnostic delay time>two years, 14 cases) and non-diagnostic delay group (diagnostic delay time≤two years, 42 cases). The clinical characteristics at initial diagnosis and early prognosis were compared between the two groups. The risk factors affecting early prognosis of CD patients were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier was used for prognosis analysis. Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model were performed to analyze factors affecting early prognosis.

The results of imaging examination indicated that the proportion of intestinal injury of diagnostic delay group was significantly higher than that of non-diagnostic delay group (χ²=4.49, P=0.03). During follow-up, the proportion of CD-related rehospitalization of diagnostic delay group was higher than that of non-diagnostic delay group, and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=7.34, P=0.01). During follow-up, the nine patients received surgery. The one-year and three-year cumulative incidence of surgery was 10.7% and 22.7%, respectively; one-year cumulative incidence of surgery in diagnostic delay group and non-diagnostic delay group was 38.6% and 9.6%, respectively. The results of Cox univariable and multivariable analyses both indicated that intestinal injury in imaging examination at diagnosis was the risk factor of surgery (both hazard ratio (HR)=2.313, both P<0.01). A total of 21 patients had CD-related rehospitalization during follow-up. And one-year and 31-month cumulative incidence of hospitalization was 27.8% and 56.3%, respectively; one-year cumulative incidence of CD-related rehospitalization in diagnostic delay group and non-diagnostic delay group was 43.7% and 21.6%, respectively; and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=5.88, P=0.02). The results of Cox univariable analysis indicated that having systematic manifestation, intestinal injury in imaging examination and diagnostic delay were the risk factors of CD-related rehospitalization (HR=2.972, 2.313 and 1.403, all P<0.05). The results of multivariable analysis indicated that having systematic manifestation and intestinal injury in imaging examination were independent risk factors of CD-related rehospitalization (HR=3.891 and 2.541, P<0.01, respectively).

The proportion of intestinal injury of patients with diagnostic delay is high and the early prognosis is poor. Intestinal injury in imaging examination at initial diagnosis is independently risk factor of CD-related surgery and rehospitalization during follow-up.

Crohn disease; Diagnostic delay; Disease course