Treatment of ulcerative colitis with high-dose 5-aminosalicylic acid enemas

This study is a double-blind controlled trial in 86 patients of the efficacy of retention enemas containing 4 g 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), believed to be the active metabolite of sulphasalazine, compared with retention enemas of 100 mg of hydrocortisone for the topical treatment of mild or moderate ulcerative colitis. 5-ASA enemas given to 44 patients were significantly more effective than hydrocortisone enemas given to 42 patients, and produced 93, 93, and 77% remission in clinical, sigmoidoscopic, and histological terms, respectively, compared with corresponding remission rates of 57, 54, and 33% in the hydrocortisone treated patients.