Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33553661›Full record

ArticleJGH open : an open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology2021

Long-term outcomes of perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease in the biologic era.

Tanya Lee, Michael A Kamm, Sally Bell, Mark Lust, Steve Brown, Ola Niewiadomski, Chamara Basnayake, Emily Wright, Basil D'Souza, Rodney Woods and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JGH open : an open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease: Clinical practice update from Colitis and Crohn's Foundation (India).Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology · 2026
    Guideline
  2. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Tanya LeeDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4559-9603
Michael A KammDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3319-7199
Sally BellDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Mark LustDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Steve BrownDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Ola NiewiadomskiDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Chamara BasnayakeDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6103-769X
Emily WrightDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Basil D'SouzaDepartment of Colorectal Surgery St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Rodney WoodsDepartment of Colorectal Surgery St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Shu Chen WeiDepartment of Internal Medicine National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine Taipei Taiwan.
William ConnellDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Alexander ThompsonDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Eric YongDepartment of Radiology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Nik Sheng DingDepartment of Gastroenterology St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimWhile the advent of biologic therapy has led to improved outcomes in perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease (pfCD), loss of response is common. Previous studies suggest that patients who achieve radiological healing (with healing of underlying tracts on magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) have a longer duration of response. The aim of this study was to characterize MRI outcomes of pfCD at a specialist inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) unit and compare the long-term clinical outcomes between patients achieving MRI and clinical healing.

methodsA retrospective analysis of perianal fistulizing Crohn's patients treated at one specialist IBD unit was performed. Records were reviewed for patient demographics, disease history, clinical assessments, investigation results, and disease flares. Clinical remission was defined as closure of all baseline fistula openings. Radiological healing was defined as the absence of any T2-hyperintense sinuses, tracts, or collections. The primary end-point was rate of MRI healing. The secondary outcome was defined as flare-free period (time between clinical or radiological healing and patients' first signs/symptoms requiring therapy escalation).

resultsA total of 93 patients were included, with a median follow-up of 4.8 years (interquartile range, 2.4-6 years). Of 44 patients, 22 (50%) achieved clinical remission, while 15 of 93 (16%) achieved radiological healing. Of 22 patients, 10 (45%) with clinical remission had a subsequent disease flare (median time of 7 months) compared with 3 of 15 (20%) patients with MRI healing (median time of 3.6 years). Radiological healing was associated with a significantly longer flare-free period (

conclusionRadiological healing occurs less commonly but represents a deeper form of healing, associated with improved long-term clinical outcomes.

Indexed as

biological therapyCrohn's diseasemagnetic resonance imagingperianal fistulatumor necrosis factor‐alpha

Identifiers

PMID33553661
PMCPMC7857282

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.