Viazis, NikosSaprikis, EfstathiosZacharakis, GeorgiosAnastasopoulos, EliasKoukouratos, TheodorosGiakoumis, MariosGouma, ParaskeviAl-Odat, MousaKechagias, GeorgiosG. Karamanolis, DemetriosMarkoglou, KonstantinosAIM. To determine the efficacy of infliximab in the treatment of chronic refractory pouchitis, following ileo-pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis (UC).METHODS: Seven patients (4 females, 3 males) with chronic refractory pouchitis were included in an open study. Pouchitis was diagnosed by clinical plus endoscopic and histological criteria. Three patients had also fistulae (pouch-bladder in 1 and perianal in 2). Extraintestinal manifestations were also present in 4 patients (erythema nodosum in 2, arthralgiae in 2). All patients were refractory to antibiotics, while 5 patients were refractory to azathioprine as well. Crohn's disease was carefully excluded in all patients after re-evaluation of the history and examination of the small bowel with enteroclysis or small bowel capsule endoscopy. Patients received Infliximab 5 mg/kg at 0, 2 and 6 weeks and thereafter every 2 months for 1 year. Clinical response was classified as complete, partial, and no response. Fistulae closure was classified as complete, partial, and no closure. The pouchitis disease activity index (PDAI) was also used as an outcome measure.RESULTS: Clinically, all patients improved. After 1 year of follow-up, 5 out of the 7 patients had a complete clinical response, and 2 out of the 3 patients with a fistula had complete fistulae closure. At the end of the follow-up period the median PDAI dropped from 11 (baseline) (range, 10-14) to 5 (range, 3-8). Extraintestinal manifestations were in complete remission at the end of the follow up period as well.CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that infliximab may be recommended for the treatment of chronic refractory pouchitis complicated or not by fistulae following IPAA for UC.text/htmlapplication/pdfapplication/mswordhttp://www.annalsgastro.gr/index.php/annalsgastro/article/view/1003engHellenic Society of Gastroenterology1792-74631108-7471Annals of Gastroenterology; Volume 24, No 4 (2011); 290-293One-year infliximab administration for the treatment of chronic refractory pouchitisinfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion2011-11-14Δημοσίευση σε περιοδικόPublication in journalΓαστροεντερολογίαGastroenterologyisi -Gastroenterology & Hepatology covers resources on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pathology of the digestive system. This category includes specific resources on the prognosis and treatment of digestive diseases; stomach ulcers; metabolic, genetic, infectious and chemically induced diseases of the liver; colitis; diseases of the pancreas and diseases of the rectum.Επιστημονικό άρθροScientific articleΕλληνική Γαστροεντερολογική ΕταιρίαGreek Aggregator OpenArchives.gr | National Documentation Centre (EKT)other