SOME ASPECTS OF TREATMENT FOR LEFT-SIDED ULCERATIVE COLITIS

Background: There is no published data on changes in the endoscopic activity index within first weeks of treatment with various pharmaceutical forms of mesalazine.Aim: Comparative assessment of clinical efficacy and safety of various pharmaceutical forms of mesalazine (tablets, enemas and foam) in the treatment of left-sided ulcerative colitis.Materials and methods: Thirty patients with chronic relapsing left-sided moderate ulcerative colitis participated in the study. They were administered mesalazine either orally (group 1, n = 10) or rectally in micro-enemas (group 2, n = 10) and as foam (group 3, n = 10). Activity of ulcerative colitis was accessed before and after the treatment, along with collecting of patient responses regarding the ease of their use.Results: The mean index of ulcerative colitis activity among all patients before treatment was 7.2 ± 0.8 points. After 1 week of treatment with oral mesalazine, the index of ulcerative colitis activity decreased to 5.2 points and in those patients who were using microenemas and foam, to 4.6 and 3.4 points, respectively, with the difference before/after treatment being significant only in the group 3 (p < 0.05). At 2 weeks of treatment, the activity index decreased more than 2-fold in all groups (p < 0.05). According to the questionnaire, 83.3% of patients accepted the oral intake of the agent as the most convenient one. The highest proportion of compliant patients was in the group using the foam. Conclusion: Mesalazine is highly effective, as shown by a 2-fold decrease in the ulcerative colitis activity index after 2 weeks of treatment. The endoscopic activity index shows more rapid decrease after the use of mesalazine foam (already at 1 week of treatment).