Acute severe colitis: Infliximab and/or cyclosporine?

Abstract

Acute severe ulcerative colitis is a serious condition that requires early hospitalization, with intensive monitoring and treatment. Despite the recent progress in the medical approach of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases acute severe ulcerative colitis remains a clinical challenge, with a mortality rate of nearly 1%. As of today, I.V. corticosteroids remain the 1st-line therapy for this complication. For non-responders (up to one-third of patients) possible options are surgery - whose timing is a critical point in the overall management of the disease - or rescue therapy with 2nd- line agents such as Cyclosporine and Infliximab. Here we will review the published studies dealing with the use of these medications in acute severe ulcerative colitis. 2011 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.<br />