Efficacy of mesalazine in the treatment of symptomatic diverticular disease.
We aimed to improve symptoms by means of mesalazine in symptomatic colonic diverticular disease patients. One hundred seventy outpatients (98 M, 72 F; age, 67.1 years; range, 39-84 years) were assigned to four different schedules: rifaximin, 200 mg bid (Group R1: 39 pts), rifaximin, 400 mg bid (Group R2: 43 pts), mesalazine, 400 mg bid (Group M1: 40 pts), and mesalazine, 800 mg bid (Group M2: 48 pts), for 10 days per month. At baseline and after 3 months we recorded 11 clinical variables (upper/lower abdominal pain/discomfort, bloating, tenesmus, diarrhea, abdominal tenderness, fever, general illness, nausea, emesis, dysuria), scored from 0 = no symptoms to 3 = severe. The global symptomatic score was the sum of all symptom scores. After 3 months in all schedules but Group R1, 3 of the 11 symptoms improved (P < 0.03); the global score decreased in all groups but Group R1 (P < 0.0001). Mesalazine-treated patients had the lowest global score at 3 months (P < 0.001). Mesalazine is as effective as rifaximin (higher dosage schedule) for diminishing some symptoms, but it appears to be better than rifaximin for improving the global score in those patients.
Di Mario
Francesco
F
Chair of Gastroenterology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. francesco.dimario@unipr.it
Aragona
Giovanni
G
Leandro
Gioacchino
G
Comparato
Giuseppe
G
Fanigliulo
Libera
L
Cavallaro
Lucas G
LG
Cavestro
Giulia M
GM
Iori
Veronica
V
Maino
Marta
M
Moussa
Alì M
AM
Gnocchi
Alessandro
A
Mazzocchi
Giancarlo
G
Franzé
Angelo
A
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004241:Diverticulum, Colon / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D019804:Mesalamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012294:Rifamycins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000078262:Rifaximin; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D012294:Rifamycins; D019804:Mesalamine; D000078262:Rifaximin