Tuberculous colitis.

The rheumatological, ophthalmological- and dermatological complications are the most common ones among the extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The incidence of skin manifestations is estimated to be 15-20% in case of Crohn's disease and 10% in case of ulcerative colitis. The so called specific lesions (perianal fissures, metastatic Crohn's disease), which are part of the skin symptoms associated with IBD, show a intimate connections with the bowel disease itself, as they histologically show granulomatous inflammation with epitheloid cells, similar to the ones seen in the intestines. The reactive lesion (erythema nodosum, pyoderma gangraenosum), that form the second main group of skin changes, can also be found is other systemic diseases, but they are more frequently associated with IBD than the average. Cutaneous manifestations may occur due to malabsorption or drug therapy. Finally, there are dermatoses (epidermolysis bullosa acquisitia, acne fulminans) which have a still questionable connection with IBD. Authors present an overview of the IBD's possible skin and mucosal symptoms and their prognostic significance and they demonstrate some rare common skin manifestations found among the IBD patients of Borsod Country (580 ulcerative colitis, 265 Crohn's disease) in the last 25 years.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗

PubMed2000

Clinical outcome and pharmacokinetics after addition of low-dose cyclosporine to methotrexate: a case study of five patients with treatment-resistant inflammatory bowel disease.

INTRODUCTION: This study reports the clinical outcome, toxicity, and methotrexate pharmacokinetics after the addition of low-dose cyclosporine to methotrexate in patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. METHODS: Three patients with steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis and two patients with steroid refractory Crohn's disease who failed monotherapy with subcutaneous methotrexate 25 mg/week for 16 weeks were treated with the combination of methotrexate and low-dose oral cyclosporine (3 mg/kg/day) for an additional 16 weeks. Clinical response was measured with the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) score. Concentrations of erythrocyte methotrexate, plasma methotrexate, and plasma 7-hydroxymethotrexate were also determined. RESULTS: Both patients with Crohn's disease withdrew from the study for toxicity (headaches, seizure). The three patients with ulcerative colitis experienced clinical improvement with a mean increase in the IBDQ score from 164 to 190 points, p = 0.01. The mean serum creatinine in the three patients who completed the study increased from 0.9 mg/dL at baseline to 1.2 mg/dL at week 16. p = 0.04. One patient developed hypertension. There was no significant change from baseline in the concentrations of erythrocyte methotrexate, plasma methotrexate, and plasma 7-hydroxymethotrexate. CONCLUSIONS: Combination therapy with methotrexate and low-dose oral cyclosporine did not alter methotrexate pharmacokinetics and resulted in high rates of cyclosporine-associated toxicity.

Colitis, Ulcerative↗