Search

INTRODUCTION: Medical management of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases is complex and tailored to disease activity. The primary goal is the induction of remission and maintenance of remission with longterm prevention of disease progression. AIM: to describe current drug treatment practices in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Dobrogea. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The retrospective and descriptive study included 128 patients: group 1 = Crohn's Disease (79), group 2 = Ulcerative Colitis (46) and group 3 = Unclassified Colitis (3). RESULTS: The phenotypic distribution was: 62% with Crohn's Disease, 36% with Ulcerative Colitis and 3 patients with Unclassified Colitis. CROHN'S DISEASE: According to Montreal Classification, the majority of patients were diagnosed after 40 years (58%); the most frequent involvement was ileo-colonic (47%) and the most frequent phenotype was inflammatory (60%). 40% patients had intestinal complications and 7% had extraintestinal complications. 16.4% required surgical interventions. 67% were treated at some point with aminosalicylates, 44% with immunosuppressive drugs (thiopurines), 80% with corticosteroids for the induction of remission (inaugural flare) and 50% of them received again corticosteroidssteroids in the evolution of the disease, and 29% with biologic therapy. ULCERATIVE COLITIS: Most common location was left colitis in 47% cases. One patient had intestinal complications and no extraintestinal complications were reported in this group. No patients required surgical interventions. 82.5% were treated at some point with aminosalicylates, 37% with immunosuppressive drugs (thiopurines), 17% with corticosteroids and 11% with biologic therapy. UNCLASSIFIED COLITIS: In this group were not reported intestinal and extraintestinal complications and also no patient required surgical interventions. 2 patients were treated at some point with aminosalicylates, all patients were treated with immunomodulators and only one patient was administered biologic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Particularities of Crohn's Disease in our region are: widespread use of aminosalicylates, overuse of corticosteroids overtime, underprescribed biologic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]