Korean J Gastrointest Endosc.
2001 Feb;22(2):116-120.
Steroid-resistant Ulcerative Colitis in Acute Exacervation Phase Remitted by Cyclosporine and Azathioprine: A case report
- Affiliations
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- 1Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Soon Chun Hyang University College of Medicine, Chonan, Korea. mhlee@sparc.schch.co.kr
Abstract
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Ulcerative colitis is chronic inflammatory disease of bowel without definite cause. Standard therapy of ulcerative colitis consists of aminosalicylates and glucocorticoid. In recent years, the effectiveness of cyclosporine in inflammatory bowel disease has been reported. Cyclosporine is useful in inducing remission in patients with acute exacervation phase who do not achieve remission with an intensive intravenous steroid therapy. We report a case of steroid-resistnat ulcerative colitis, treated with cyclosporine in 45-year-old man. Remission was not achieved with treatment of sulfasalazine and intensive intravenous glucocorticoid therapy for 10 days. We administered cyclosporine parenterally in dose of 4 mg/kg/day for 10 days. He improved dramatically without significant side effects of drug and avoided colectomy. He was discharged with oral cyclosporine and azathioprine and has been followed up outpatients department remained in clinically remission. Cyclosporine seems to be an effective treatment for patients with steroid-resistnat severe ulcerative colitis in whom colectomy seems inevitable.