Anti‐TNF therapy for genital fistulas in female patients with Crohn's disease: a nationwide study from the Groupe d'Etude Thérapeutique des Affections Inflammatoires du tube Digestif (GETAID).

Summary: Background: Genital fistulas represent a devastating complication of Crohn's disease. Only studies with small sample sizes have evaluated the efficacy of anti‐TNF therapy for this complication. Aims: To assess the efficacy of anti‐TNF therapy for genital fistulas complicating Crohn's disease and to identify predictive factors associated with clinical response at 1 year. Methods: Consecutive patients treated with anti‐TNF therapy for genital fistulas complicating Crohn's disease from 1999 to 2016 in 19 French centres from the Groupe d'Etude Thérapeutique des Affections Inflammatoires du tube Digestif were included in a retrospective cohort study. Outcome was clinical fistula closure at 1 year. Results: Among the 204 women with genital fistulas who received anti‐TNF therapy, 131 were analysed. The first anti‐TNF given was infliximab (79%), adalimumab (20%), or certolizumab (1%). At start of anti‐TNF therapy, 56% of patients had seton drainage and 53% had concomitant immunosuppressive treatment. A complementary surgery was performed during the first year in 10 patients (8%). At 1 year, 37% of patients had complete clinical fistula closure, 22% had a partial response, and 41% had no response. Among patients without complementary surgery, 34% (41/121) had complete clinical fistula closure. Only complementary surgery was associated with better response on multivariate analysis (adjusted relative risk: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.25‐3.26, P = 0.0043). Conclusions: In the anti‐TNF era, approximately one‐third of patients with genital fistula in Crohn's disease had complete fistula closure at 1 year. Collaboration between surgeons and gastroenterologists appears to be very important to improve the rate of fistula closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]