[Treatment of Crohn's disease with metronidazole (author's transl)]

The therapeutic effect of metronidazole, alone or in combination with the basic treatment schedule of corticosteroids, salazosulphapyridine or dietary formula was analysed retrospectively for 34 patients with active Crohn's disease who had previously been treated without success on the basic schedule. Clinical remission was achieved in all ten patients with highly florid Crohn's disease but no fistulae, regardless of whether metronidazole was given alone or in combination with the basic treatment regimen. Complete closure of the fistulae was achieved in 12 or 24 patients with fistulae, while marked regression of fistulae secretion occurred in a further five. It is concluded that metronidazole is of value particularly in cases resistant to basic treatment or with fistulae.