title: New therapy for orolaryngeal manifestations of Crohn's disease.
abstract: Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammation that may involve the entire gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. The most widely accepted etiologic theory involves an immunologic aberration leading to local tissue destruction. Cell-mediated immunity with increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production may play a role in mucosal damage. Oral and laryngeal involvement are rare manifestations of Crohn's disease that are usually treated successfully by steroids. We here report a rare case of extra-intestinal Crohn's disease resistant to steroid therapy, which was successfully treated with infliximab, a chimeric antibody directed against TNF-alpha that is the only registered agent for the treatment of Crohn's disease. The relative safety, efficacy, and efficiency of infliximab make it an alternative treatment of which otolaryngologists should be aware.
authors.affiliation: IV Division of Otolaryngology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ottaviani
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capaccio
authors.forename: Mara
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrone
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi Porro
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004724:Endoscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D000069285:Infliximab