Diagnostic delay in inflammatory bowel diseases in a German population.

Background: Early diagnosis is key to prevent bowel damage in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Risk factor analyses linked with delayed diagnosis in European IBD patients are scarce and no data in German IBD patients exists.

Aim: To identify risk factors leading to prolonged diagnostic time in a German IBD cohort.

Methods: Between 2012 and 2022, 430 IBD patients from four Berlin hospitals were enrolled in a prospective study and asked to complete a 16-item questionnaire to determine features of the path leading to IBD diagnosis. Total diagnostic time was defined as the time from symptom onset to consulting a physician (patient waiting time) and from first consultation to IBD diagnosis (physician diagnostic time). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for each time period.

Results: The total diagnostic time was significantly longer in Crohn's disease (CD) compared to ulcerative colitis (UC) patients (12.0 4.0 mo; < 0.001), mainly due to increased physician diagnostic time (5.5 1.0 mo; < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, the predominant symptoms diarrhea ( = 0.012) and skin lesions ( = 0.028) as well as performed gastroscopy ( = 0.042) were associated with longer physician diagnostic time in CD patients. In UC, fever was correlated ( = 0.020) with shorter physician diagnostic time, while fatigue ( = 0.011) and positive family history ( = 0.046) were correlated with longer physician diagnostic time.

Conclusion: We demonstrated that CD patients compared to UC are at risk of long diagnostic delay. Future efforts should focus on shortening the diagnostic delay for a better outcome in these patients.