[Methotrexate as possible treatment in refractory chronic inflammatory intestinal disease]

To determine the value of low dose methotrexate therapy in chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

Catharina Hospital and Diaconessenhuis, Eindhoven, and St. Joseph Hospital, Veldhoven.

Descriptive.

From 1988 until 1993 we treated 15 patients 16 times (one patient was treated twice) with methotrexate 25 mg i.m. once a week during 12 weeks, followed by a tapering oral dose. Our population consisted of 4 men and 11 women with a mean age of 31 year. The diagnosis was Crohn ileitis (1 patient), Crohn colitis (8), ileocolitis (4) and ulcerative colitis (2). The indication for methotrexate was resistance to therapy (9) and steroid dependency (7). Retrospectively the disease activity was determined after 1, 2 and 3 months of therapy.

The mean defaecation frequency went down from 7 to 2 times daily after 12 weeks, the ESR from 47 to 17 mm/1st hour, the thrombocytes from 436 x 10(9)/l to 325 x 10(9)/l and the prednisone dose could be lowered from 22 mg to 15 mg after 3 months. In 13/16 treatment cases there was a subjective positive response to methotrexate. Initial response was seen within 4 weeks. No serious side effects were seen. After 10 of the 13 response episodes the disease recurred.

Methotrexate 25 mg once a week i.m. was associated with a subjective and objective improvement in 12/15 patients, but the risk of recurrence after tapering appears to be large.