Mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis: surveillance or colectomy?

Gianluca Andrisani, Alfredo Papa, Luisa Guidi, Alessandro Armuzzi

Complesso Integrato Columbus, Catholic University, Rome, Italy

Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology Unit, Complesso Integrato Columbus, Catholic University, Rome , Italy

Correspondence to: Dr. Alessandro Armuzzi, IBD Unit, Complesso Integrato Columbus, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Moscati 31-33, 00168 Roma, Italy, e-mail: alearmuzzi@yahoo.com

Conflict of Interest: Luisa Guidi and Alessandro Armuzzi: educational grants and lecture fees from Abbott and MSD.
Gianluca Andrisani and Alfredo Papa: None

Received 6 May 2013; accepted 8 May 2013

A 38-year-old patient presented with bloody diarrhea (7 to 8 bowel movements per day), abdominal pain and weight loss. Blood tests showed moderate anemia and an increased C-reactive protein. Stool culture and Clostridium difficile toxin were negative. Ileocolonoscopy revealed moderate-severe pancolitis: the mucosa from rectum to cecum showed superficial and deep ulcers, friability and spontaneous bleeding of mucosa. Histology showed characteristic findings of ulcerative colitis (UC). He was treated for 5 days with i.v. methylprednisolone without improvement and then he started infliximab therapy. Intestinal symptoms significantly improved after induction. One-year colonoscopy showed mucosal healing (MH) with diffuse pseudopolyps (Fig. 1 A,B). MH has an important role in determining treatment effectiveness and long-term prognosis in patients with UC. MH in UC is linked with a lower risk of relapse, a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, a decreased need for surgery and improved quality of life [1]. Surveillance colonoscopy is strongly recommended to control the increased risk of colorectal carcinoma in patients with long-standing UC [2]. MH in UC is currently defined as “absence of friability, blood, erosions and ulcers in all the visualized segments” [3]. In this patient, the Mayo endoscopic score is 0, but the presence of numerous large pseudopolyps raises some questions: could the endoscopic findings be defined as complete MH? How does one implement and manage surveillance in this patient: colonoscopy or colectomy?

References

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2.  Dyson JK, Rutter MD. Colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: what is the real magnitude of the risk? World J Gastroenterol 2012;18:3839-3848.

3.  D’Haens G, Sandborn WJ, Feagan BG, et al. A review of activity indices and efficacy end points for clinical trials of medical therapy in adults with ulcerative colitis.. Gastroenterology 2007;32:763-786.