title: Treatment of pediatric refractory Crohn's disease with thalidomide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy and tolerability of thalidomide in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Six patients with refractory CD received thalidomide at an initial dose of 2 mg/kg per day for one month, then increased to 3 mg/kg per day or decreased to 1 mg/kg per day, and again further reduced to 0.5 mg/kg per day, according to the individual patient's response to the drug.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Remission was achieved within three months. Dramatic clinical improvement was demonstrated after thalidomide treatment. Endoscopic and pathological improvements were also observed after thalidomide treatment, which was well tolerated by all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thalidomide is a useful drug for pediatric refractory CD.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China.
authors: Cui-Fang
authors: CF
authors: Zheng
authors: Jia-Hua
authors: JH
authors: Xu
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Huang
authors: Ying-Kit
authors: YK
authors: Leung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D013792:Thalidomide