Purpose: Crohn’s disease causes fistulas, which are abnormal openings from the bowel to adjacent structures such as the skin, bladder, genitals, or to other loops of bowel. Fistulas frequently lead to serious and sometimes debilitating complications.
Fistulas have a major negative impact on quality of life of children and their caregivers and are highly distressing. Fistulas can cause many complications including fecal incontinence, infertility, chronic draining wounds, abscesses, and severe infections of the bladder, kidneys, uterus, or other internal structures. Fistulas are difficult to treat, requiring expensive medications and surgery, and treatments are often not effective. Strategies are needed to prevent fistulas from developing in the first place.
This study is designed to answer several important questions:
- What are the characteristics of children who at the greatest risk for developing fistulas?
- Does early selection of therapy alter the risk for fistulas among children?
- Does the risk of fistula among children change with the duration of disease?
Primary Outcomes:
- Developing perianal fistula
- Time to perianal fistula development
Secondary Outcomes:
- Medication use
- Surgery
Funding Source: Shaevsky Family Research Fund for Crohn’s Disease
Study Period: 2013-2022
Recruitment Status: This study makes use of existing data in the ICN registry. No patient recruitment at this time.
Contact: ImproveCareNow Research