Background: Cyclosporine A (CsA) has been found to be the first successful therapy used in the recovery of patients with steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the long-term benefits of cyclosporine remain questionable. We report our results on the use of CsA in patients with severe steroid-refractory UC.
Methods: The records of all patients with steroid refractory UC treated with CsA from January 2003 to December 2007 were reviewed. Demographics, clinical characteristics of the disease, responsiveness to CsA, complications arising from the treatment and the need for surgery were recorded for all patients.
Results: Of 146 admissions of severe UC, 24 patients who were steroid refractory (mean age 41.7 years; 11 men) received intravenous cyclosporine (4 mg/kg/day) for mean of 6.63 days (range 1-7), followed by oral CsA for a period of 3 months. All patients had failed to respond to intravenous hydrocortisone given for 7 days. Four patients required a colectomy immediately, three of whom failed to respond to CsA, and one had convulsions following drug administration. Nineteen of the 24 patients (79%), in whom a colectomy was avoided during the early stages of their treatment, were followed up for a mean of approximately 38 months (range 12-62 months). Three patients required surgery on follow up; one was operated at day 94, another in the second year and one in the third year. Overall, 16 of 24 patients (67%) remained colectomy-free. The main side-effects observed included infections, tremors, paresthesias, headache, hypertension, hypertrichosis and peripheral neuropathy. Three of seven patients who had to undergo surgery died within 2 weeks.
Conclusions: Our study shows that surgery can be avoided in two-thirds of patients with steroid refractive severe UC. However, the drug toxicity and mortality are significant.