Clinical relapse of Crohn's disease under standardized conservative treatment and after excisional surgery

The course of 205 patients with Crohn's disease at one gastroenterological center was studied in patients with conservative drug treatment or with operative management of their disease. The decision for one or the other treatment regimen was made by an interdisciplinary team of gastroenterologists and surgeons. Using life-table analysis the 205 patients showed a clinical relapse rate of 27% after two years and 38% after four years. Clinical relapse was defined by a Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) over 150. We used a standardized drug regimen of salazosulfapyridin and prednisone; the indication for excisional surgery was limited strictly to life-threatening situations, absolute nonresponse to drug treatment, and severe intervisceral fistulae. The operated patients (N = 93) had a lower relapse rate than the patients treated conservatively (N = 112), 20% and 51%, respectively, after four years. There were considerably fewer relapses in Crohn's colitis patients who were operated upon than in conservatively treated patients (18% versus 67% after four years); the same was found for ileocolitis (20% vs 49% after four years), but there was no difference between the treatment groups in ileitis (25-30% relapses for both after four years). In addition the patients with Crohn's disease of the colon had a more favorable course after resection with respect to symptoms, clinical and laboratory findings, and CDAI in remission. This paper gives data only for surgery in severe clinical situations and does not give a rationale for earlier surgery. This problem should now be studied in a randomized trial.