Zhang SY, Lin Y. Addressing diagnostic delays in inflammatory bowel diseases in Germany. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30(41): 4484-4489 [PMID: 39534412 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i41.4484]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Shi-Yan Zhang, MD, Director, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fuding Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 120 South Road of Old City, Fuding 355200, Fujian Province, China. myebox@139.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 7, 2024; 30(41): 4484-4489 Published online Nov 7, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i41.4484
Addressing diagnostic delays in inflammatory bowel diseases in Germany
Shi-Yan Zhang, Yin Lin
Shi-Yan Zhang, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fuding Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuding 355200, Fujian Province, China
Yin Lin, Department of Gastroenterology, Fuding Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuding 355200, Fujian Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Shi-Yan Zhang and Yin Lin.
Author contributions: Zhang SY drafted and submitted the manuscript; Lin Y wrote and edited the manuscript. All authors have revised and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Shi-Yan Zhang, MD, Director, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Fuding Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 120 South Road of Old City, Fuding 355200, Fujian Province, China. myebox@139.com
Received: July 14, 2024 Revised: September 26, 2024 Accepted: October 12, 2024 Published online: November 7, 2024 Processing time: 100 Days and 19.9 Hours
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis, are chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract that necessitate timely diagnosis to prevent complications and improve patient outcomes. Despite advancements in medical knowledge and diagnostic techniques, significant diagnostic delays persist, particularly in CD. The study by Blüthner et al, published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, elucidates the diagnostic delays experienced by German patients with IBD and identifies key risk factors contributing to these delays.
Core Tip: This editorial highlight the persistent issue of diagnostic delays in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with a focus on the differences between Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). In CD, symptoms such as diarrhea and skin lesions are associated with longer diagnostic times, whereas in UC, fever shortens the diagnostic time, but fatigue and a positive family history prolong it. These variations reflect the complex nature of IBD diagnosis. To address these challenges, the editorial advocates for improved physician education, public awareness initiatives, interdisciplinary teamwork, and the use of noninvasive screening tools to enhance early diagnosis and patient outcomes.
