Swaminathan A, Sparrow MP. Perianal Crohn’s disease: Still more questions than answers. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30(39): 4260-4266 [PMID: 39492828 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i39.4260]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Akhilesh Swaminathan, FRACP, MBChB, PhD, Doctor, Department of Medicine, University of Otago, 2 Riccarton Avenue, Christchurch 8011, Canterbury, New Zealand. akhilesh.swaminathan@otago.ac.nz
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
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. Oct 21, 2024; 30(39): 4260-4266 Published online Oct 21, 2024. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i39.4260
Perianal Crohn’s disease: Still more questions than answers
Akhilesh Swaminathan, Miles P Sparrow
Akhilesh Swaminathan, Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch 8011, Canterbury, New Zealand
Akhilesh Swaminathan, Department of Gastroenterology, Alfred Health, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia
Miles P Sparrow, Department of Gastroenterology, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia
Miles P Sparrow, Department of Gastroenterology, Alfred Health and School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia
Author contributions: Swaminathan A performed a search of the literature and prepared the initial article draft; Sparrow MP contributed to the critical revision of this manuscript; All authors have approved the final submitted version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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: Akhilesh Swaminathan, FRACP, MBChB, PhD, Doctor, Department of Medicine, University of Otago, 2 Riccarton Avenue, Christchurch 8011, Canterbury, New Zealand. akhilesh.swaminathan@otago.ac.nz
Received: August 21, 2024 Revised: September 17, 2024 Accepted: September 23, 2024 Published online: October 21, 2024 Processing time: 52 Days and 18.5 Hours
Abstract
In this editorial we comment on the article by Pacheco et al published in a recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology. We focus specifically on the burden of illness associated with perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease (PFCD) and the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in the management of this condition. Evolving evidence has shifted the diagnostic framework for PFCD from anatomical classification systems, to one that is more nuanced and patient-focused to drive ongoing decision making. This editorial aims to reflect on these aspects to help clinicians face the challenge of PFCD in day-to-day clinical practice.
Core Tip: Perianal fistulizing Crohn’s disease (PFCD) is a challenging phenotype of inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment strategies for the management of this condition should focus on a patient-centred approach to care. Many gaps remain in the literature surrounding PFCD, especially regarding surveillance for anorectal malignancies. Available evidence related to PFCD should be leveraged to form the foundation of ongoing research in this field.
