Prolonged medical therapy for severe pediatric ulcerative colitis.

Abstract

The optimal timing of surgical intervention for severe ulcerative colitis remains uncertain. Numerous reports recommend surgery within 10-14 days if clinical remission is not achieved. We undertook a study to follow the clinical course and long-term follow-up of patients with severe ulcerative colitis treated medically for longer than 14 days (n = 11). We performed a retrospective review of all patients admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of severe ulcerative colitis who were treated for more than 14 days. Nine percent of patients (n = 1) required surgery during their hospitalization. Ninety-one percent of patients (n = 10, mean age 8.6 yr, 7 M, 3 F) treated with medical and nutritional therapy for more than 14 days went into clinical remission. Of these, only 10% (n = 1) ultimately required surgery; 60% remain in clinical remission up to 83 months posthospitalization (mean follow-up, 49.5 months), whereas 30% suffer from mild to moderate colitis (mean follow-up, 26.3 months). These results do not support the recommendation for colectomy for refractory severe ulcerative colitis if remission is not noted within 2 wk of hospitalization.