Anti-inflammatory drug treatment in Crohn's disease

In a prospective evaluation of all patients with Crohn's disease treated by us since 1970, 62 have completed at least one year, or required bowel resection after at least three months, of anti-inflammatory drug treatment. Sulfasalazine alone was used in 24 patients, steroids alone were used in four patients, both drugs were used together in 29 patients and azathioprine was added to the drug regimen of five patients. The initial choice of drug followed a set design but the regimens ultimately arrived at depended upon patient responses. Favorable complete or partial clinical responses were obtained in 54 patients, while 37 patients showed objective radiographic improvement or regression. No radiographic improvement was found in the eight patients with clinical treatment failure as well as in 11 patients with clinical improvement. Six clinically improved patients had not yet been re-examined radiographically. The study provides objective evidence that the majority of patients with Crohn's disease can be successfully treated by means of anti-inflammatory drugs.