Current status of drug therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

Both topical steroids and sulfasalazine are useful for patients with ulcerative proctitis and distal colitis. For patients with more extensive ulcerative colitis with moderate symptoms, prednisone and/or sulfasalazine will result in improvement in about 80% of patients. Parenteral corticosteroids or ACTH should be used in the setting of severe colitis and antibiotics added if the patient appears toxic. Sulfasalazine is of proven efficacy as maintenance therapy in ulcerative colitis. Prednisone and sulfasalazine are useful in Crohn's disease, although the latter is of limited use in patients with ileitis alone. Immunosuppressive agents such as azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine may be especially helpful in Crohn's patients refractory to other drugs or dependent on high doses of steroids. Azathioprine is of proven usefulness as maintenance treatment of Crohn's disease. Metronidazole is as effective as sulfasalazine in Crohn's disease involving the colon and has an important role in severe perineal disease. New forms of steroid enemas and topical and oral forms of 5-aminosalicylate based on sulfasalazine should be available soon for patients with both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.