Acute Severe Colitis: Infliximab and/or Cyclosporine?

Title: Acute Severe Colitis: Infliximab and/or Cyclosporine?

Volume: 12 Issue: 10

Author(s): Mauro Fabro, Hajnalka Szabo, Giovanni Terrosu, Claudio Avellini, Maria Tabuso, Gionata Fiorino and Dario Sorrentino

Affiliation:

Keywords: Severe Colitis, Corticosteroids, Cyclosporine, Infliximab, Colectomy, Sigmoidoscopy

Abstract: Acute severe ulcerative colitis is a serious condition that requires early hospitalization, with intensive monitoring and treatment. Despite the recent progress in the medical approach of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases acute severe ulcerative colitis remains a clinical challenge, with a mortality rate of nearly 1%.

As of today, I.V. corticosteroids remain the 1st-line therapy for this complication. For non-responders (up to one-third of patients) possible options are surgery - whose timing is a critical point in the overall management of the disease - or rescue therapy with 2nd- line agents such as Cyclosporine and Infliximab. Here we will review the published studies dealing with the use of these medications in acute severe ulcerative colitis.

Cite this article as:

Fabro Mauro, Szabo Hajnalka, Terrosu Giovanni, Avellini Claudio, Tabuso Maria, Fiorino Gionata and Sorrentino Dario, Acute Severe Colitis: Infliximab and/or Cyclosporine?, Current Drug Targets 2011; 12 (10) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138945011796818234