Prolonged time to diagnosis of Crohn's disease in patients with perianal fistulas negatively affects long-term outcomes.

Background And Aim: This study aims to evaluate the effect of time to Crohn's disease (CD) diagnosis on perianal fistula (PAF) outcomes in patients with a fistula as first manifesting sign.

Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective study, CD patients with a PAF preceding CD diagnosis between November 2015 and June 2022 were included. The primary outcome parameter was the time to CD diagnosis and its correlation with long-term outcomes.