Abstract
Prednisolone suppositories were administered in treating 192 cases of ulcerative colitis and8 cases of radiation colitis. In both these types of colitis, main active lesion were in the rectum and sigmoid colon.
The following results were obtained :
1. Ulcerative colitis
Mucous blood in the feces and bloody diarrhea had disappeared in 90 cases (47 %) after two weeks, and in 134 cases (70 %) after four weeks of administering the suppositories, by which time improvement of symptoms had developed in 176 cases (92 %). Deterioration was observed in only one case (0.5 %).
On the colonofiberscopic examination in these cases, however, complete remission could be?found in only 57 cases (36 %), and improvement of mucosal changes in only 89 cases (56 %) even after eight weeks. Deterioration was not observed.
2. Radiation colitis
Mucous blood on the feces and bloody diarrhea had disappeared in 5 of the 8 cases after two weeks of administering suppositories, but colonofiberscopy revealed that a decrease in inflammation, erosion and bleeding had occurred in only one case after the same period of time.
3. There was no adverse reaction except in two cases, in which partial stimulation for rectum occurred,
To sum up, this suppository is extremely effective in treatment of ulcerative colitis. While it is being administered, however, regular or periodic endoscopic examinations should be made to confirm whether dosage might be decreased or suspended altogether, because of the long period of time between the disappearance of bloody feces and the achievement of endoscopic remission.
