One year of infliximab therapy successfully improved a case of refractory pouchitis without the use of antibiotics.

Abstract

A 29-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis underwent total colectomy with ileal-pouch-anal canal anastomosis in 1999. After the surgery, she developed refractory pouchitis. We administered metronidazole, mesalamine and ciprofloxacin; however, her clinical symptoms improved only very slightly. We initiated treatment with infliximab in June 2011 and discontinued the antibiotics. Thereafter, the patient's abdominal symptoms quickly improved. We discontinued the infliximab therapy in June 2012, after which time, the patient's abdominal symptoms remained in remission for 40 weeks, without the use of antibiotics. This report suggests that infliximab is useful not only for improving the clinical symptoms of refractory pouchitis, but also discontinuing antibiotic therapy in such patients.

• Authors: Masahiro Iizuka, Takeshi Etou, Hitoshi Yagisawa, Toru Ishii, Shiho Sagara
• Journal: Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Intern Med) Vol. 53 Issue 22 Pg. 2581-3 ( 2014) ISSN: 1349-7235 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 25400178 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Gastrointestinal Agents
• Infliximab

Topics

• Adult
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (therapeutic use)
• Antibodies, Monoclonal (therapeutic use)
• Colitis, Ulcerative (surgery)
• Female
• Gastrointestinal Agents (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Infliximab
• Pouchitis (drug therapy, etiology)
• Proctocolectomy, Restorative (adverse effects)