Sulkanen E, Repo M, Huhtala H, et al. - In a well-defined cohort of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) patients, diagnostic delay was longer in children with Crohn disease (CD) and in those presenting with abdominal pain, and delay occurred mostly before specialist consultation. Risk for complications was conferred by diagnostic delay in PIBD. Results highlight the roles of active case-finding and prompt diagnostic assessments.

• This study involved 136 PIBD patients, diagnostic delay was further categorized into < 6 and ≥ 6 months, and < 12 and ≥ 12 months.

• Median delay prior to diagnosis was reported to be 5.0 months in all, 6.6 months in CD, 4.1 months in ulcerative colitis (UC), and 9.8 months in inflammatory bowel disease undefined.

• In all PIBD and in UC patients, a delay > 6 months was predicted by abdominal pain, with OR 2.07 and 3.15, respectively.

• While a shorter delay was predicted by bloody stools in all PIBD (0.28) patients and in CD (0.10) patients.

• A higher frequency of complications was observed with a delay > 6 months (2.28).