Subclinical bowel inflammation increases healthcare resources utilization and steroid use before diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Previous data support that the inflammatory process underlying ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) can start years before the diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine if patients with an incidental diagnosis of UC or CD demonstrate an increase in healthcare utilization in the years preceding the symptomatic onset of the disease.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, retrospective, hospital-based, case-control study. Patients with an incidental diagnosis of UC or CD during the colorectal cancer screening program at 9 hospitals were included. Cases were matched 1:3 and compared separately with two control populations: one including healthy non-IBD subjects adjusted by gender, age, and date, excluding those with visits to Gastroenterology; and a second control cohort of UC/CD patients with symptomatic onset.

Results: A total of 124 patients with preclinical inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were included (87 UC, 30 CD, 7 IBD unclassified; median age 56 years). Patients with preclinical IBD showed an increase in the number of visits to Primary Care up to 3 and 5 years before diagnosis (aIRR 1.59, 95% CI [1.37-1.86], p = 0.001; aIRR 1.43, 95% CI [1.24-1.67], p = 0.01) and more frequent use of steroids (aOR 2.84, 95% CI [1.21-6.69], p = 0.03; aOR 2.25, 95% CI [1.06-4.79], p = 0.04) compared to matched non-IBD healthy controls, respectively. In contrast, patients with a symptomatic onset visited Primary Care less frequently, but they had an increase in the number of visits to Emergency Department, specialist care, sick-leaves, CT/ultrasound examinations, and use of antibiotics or systemic steroids.

Conclusions: There is an increased need for medical assistance and use of systemic steroids during the presymptomatic phase of IBD. These results will help in establishing new tools for early identification of IBD in the future.