To investigate whether a diagnostic delay is associated with a poor outcome in Crohn's disease (CD).
Medical and socioeconomic characteristics as well as medications and need for surgery of consecutive CD adults patients followed in three referral centers were prospectively recorded using an electronic database (Focus_MICI
A total of 497 patients with CD (53.6 % women) were analyzed. Median diagnostic delay was 5 months (IQR 25-75 %: 2-13 months). Median follow-up was 9 years (IQR 4-16.2), and 148 (29.8 %) patients had major surgery. There were no significant differences between patients with late and early diagnosis regarding age at diagnosis, disease phenotype, need for IMS therapy, and need for anti-TNF therapy. Time to first major surgery was shorter in patients with late diagnosis (p = 0.05).
In this large multicenter prospective cohort of French CD patients, a long diagnostic delay (>13 months) increased the risk of early surgery. No associated factors could be identified in this study.