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Diagnostic Features of Perianal Fistula in Patients With Crohn's Disease: Analysis of a Japanese Claims Database
Tsunekazu Mizushima1,2, Mihoko Ota3, Yasushi Fujitani3
1Department of Therapeutics for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Background:
Perianal fistula (PAF) is a disabling complication of Crohn's disease (CD) which greatly impacts the quality of life. To address a scarcity of data in Asian populations, we determined the prevalence of CD-associated PAF in Japan, the order of diagnosis, and medical history of patients.
Methods:
A retrospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study was conducted, using an employer-based health insurance claims database. The study included patients diagnosed with CD and/or PAF from October 2013 to September 2019.
Results:
The age- and gender-adjusted prevalence rates of CD-associated PAF increased from 10.33 per 100 000 in 2014, to 13.68 per 100 000 in 2019. Among patients with CD-associated PAF, 15.7% were diagnosed with PAF after diagnosis of CD, 68.6% were diagnosed with PAF before diagnosis with CD, and 15.7% were diagnosed with CD and PAF within the same month. Of the patients diagnosed with CD after PAF, approximately 30% were diagnosed with PAF by the age of 20 years, whereas less than 10% of PAF patients without CD were diagnosed with PAF by the age of 20 years.
Conclusions:
The study reveals the prevalence of CD-associated PAF in Japan and that most individuals were diagnosed with CD after the diagnosis of PAF. Crohn's disease may be underdiagnosed in patients with PAF; patients diagnosed with PAF at a young age should be monitored to allow timely diagnosis of CD.
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