title: Evaluation of clinical patterns in ulcerative colitis: a long-term follow-up.
abstract: The aim of this prospective research was to compare, in a seven-year follow-up, the clinical outcome of ulcerative pancolitis with that of non-progressive ulcerative colitis. The activity of the disease was evaluated by a Clinical Activity Index and an Endoscopic Index. Of 112 cases of ulcerative colitis observed, 95 showed no change in extent and were studied as examples of non-progressive UC, and in this group the extension of the disease was: pancolitis in 19%, left-sided colitis in 39%, proctosigmoiditis in 17% and proctitis in 25%. A colectomy had to be performed in 5%. None of the enrolled cases developed a cancer during the follow-up. The patients with ulcerative pancolitis or left-sided colitis were treated with 5-ASA 1.6 g/day in a delayed-release formulation, while the cases with proctosigmoiditis or proctitis were treated with 5-ASA enemas 4 g/day. The cases with more than one relapse/year were 39%. The proportion of patients with only one relapse/year was 53%. The patients with steady remission for all the seven years of the trial were only 8%, but with a statistically significant difference between the groups with initial diagnosis of proctosigmoiditis or proctitis and the group with initial diagnosis of pancolitis or left-sided colitis (12% versus 5%). Among the cases with continuous remission, 37% showed colonic alterations, with an endoscopic score higher than 4 but a clinical score less than 6. Side-effects were observed in 6% patients but without treatment withdrawal. Non-progressive ulcerative colitis throughout the colon has a relatively good prognosis which seems to be independent of the location of the disease, even if we have found a statistically significant higher percentage of cases with steady remission among the patients with more distal disease.
authors.affiliation: U.O. di Gastroenterologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Pisana, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bresci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gambardella
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rindi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capria
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004733:Enema; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019804:Mesalamine