Open AccessInfliximab for the treatment of pouchitis
Author(s) -
Maddalena Zippi,
C. Cassieri,
E.V. Avallone,
Roberta Pica
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
world journal of clinical cases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.368
H-Index - 10
ISSN - 2307-8960
DOI - 10.12998/wjcc.v1.i6.191
Subject(s) - medicine , pouchitis , infliximab , ulcerative colitis , refractory (planetary science) , colectomy , surgery , pouch , complication , anastomosis , gastroenterology , tumor necrosis factor alpha , disease , physics , astrobiology
Pouchitis is not a rare complication that develops after an ileal-pouch anastomosis, performed after colectomy in patients refractory to treatment or with complicated ulcerative colitis. This condition may become chronic and unresponsive to medical therapies, including corticosteroids, antibiotics and probiotics. The advent of biological therapies (tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors) has changed the course of these complications. In particular, in these cases, infliximab (IFX) may represent a safe and effective therapy in order to avoid the subsequent operation for a permanent ileostomy. This article reviews the therapeutic effects of one of the most widely used anti-tumor necrosis factor-α molecules, IFX, for the treatment of complicated pouchitis (refractory to conventional treatment and/or fistulizing).