Tacrolimus Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis-Associated Post-Colectomy Enteritis. ACG Case Rep J. 2014;2:33-35. [PMID: 26157899 PMCID: PMC4435352 DOI: 10.14309/crj.2014.76]

Massive bleeding and perforation due to post-colectomy pan-enteritis with a significant response to biologic in a patient with ulcerative colitis: a case report

BACKGROUND

Post-colectomy pan-enteritis in ulcerative colitis (UC) is very rare, but it is often severe and fatal. We present a case of massive bleeding and perforation due to post-colectomy pan-enteritis, which showed a significant response to biologics in a UC patient.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 30-year-old woman with a 5-month history of pancolitis UC underwent subtotal colectomy with ileostomy and mucosal fistula for refractory UC. She was diagnosed with small bowel obstruction on postoperative day (POD) 8 and bowel bleeding was observed on POD18. Reoperation was performed for bowel obstruction and bleeding on POD20. Intraoperatively, adhesive small bowel obstruction in the ileum and multiple erosions and ulcers with perforation were observed throughout the small bowel. We diagnosed post-colectomy pan-enteritis, and jejunostomy, lavage, adhesiolysis, and a simple closure of the perforated ileum were performed. High-dose steroid therapy for pan-enteritis was administered immediately after reoperation, and infliximab was administered because of worsening bleeding on day 3 after reoperation. Bleeding decreased one day after biologic administration and bleeding completely disappeared on day 10 after biologic administration. Specimens obtained from the terminal ileum at colectomy showed a normal ileum without inflammation and villus atrophy, while specimens from the perforated ileum showed congestion, villous atrophy, epithelial erosion, and mononuclear cell infiltration. No cryptitis, crypt distortion, or basal plasmacytosis (common characteristics in UC) were observed in either specimen.

CONCLUSION

An early diagnosis and intervention are important for post-colectomy pan-enteritis, and infliximab may be effective. Post-colectomy pan-enteritis with a multiple ulcer phenotype has different histological characteristics from UC and may have a different pathogenesis.

Severe Disease Activity May Predispose Patients to Post-colectomy Duodenitis Associated with Ulcerative Colitis

Objective Diffuse mucosal inflammation in the duodenum, distinct from peptic ulcer disease, has been repeatedly reported in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). The pathogenesis of this complication remains uncertain; however, colectomy for medically refractory UC appears to trigger duodenitis. Cases in which colectomy was performed for UC were analyzed to characterize UC-related duodenitis after colectomy. Methods A retrospective case-control study of UC-related duodenitis that developed after colectomy in medically refractory UC between January 2011 and June 2020 was conducted. UC-related duodenitis was diagnosed based on typical clinical, endoscopic, and histological findings, and no duodenitis was endoscopically defined by the normal duodenal mucosa. Clinical and laboratory data, disease severity, and medications used were collected and compared between the UC-related and non-duodenitis cases. Results Ten UC-related duodenitis and 35 non-duodenitis cases were identified among 45 patients with UC who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy after colectomy. Disease severity, defined by the C-reactive protein level and partial Mayo score prior to colectomy, was significantly higher in duodenitis patients than in non-duodenitis patients. In comparison to non-duodenitis patients, duodenitis patients more frequently received rescue therapies with calcineurin inhibitors or anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α agents at the time of colectomy (100% vs. 65.7%). Conclusion Patients with UC with higher disease activity, especially those who require rescue therapies with calcineurin inhibitors and anti-TNF-α agents, may be prone to developing UC-related duodenitis after colectomy.

Clinical Features and Therapeutic Outcomes of Post-colectomy Enteritis with Ulcerative Colitis

Objectives

Few reports are available on post-colectomy enteritis (PCE) with ulcerative colitis (UC), which can be severe and sometimes fatal. The clinical characteristics are unclear, and treatment and diagnosis protocols have not been established. We aimed to investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics, diagnostic criteria, and therapeutic outcomes of PCE in this study.

Methods

Patients with UC who underwent colectomy between April 2010 and December 2019 were included in this study. We retrospectively analyzed patients who developed PCE and excluded patients with other forms of enteritis.

Results

We performed 829 colectomies because of a preoperative diagnosis of UC. Eleven and four patients were diagnosed with Crohn's disease and indeterminate colitis after surgery, respectively; 22 patients developed enteritis in the perioperative period. We excluded six patients with backwash ileitis, five with prepouch ileitis, three with infectious enteritis, and one with ischemic enteritis. In total, 7/814 (0.8%) patients developed PCE. All patients with PCE had pancolitis. PCE was observed a median of 33 (12-248) days after surgery. Endoscopy showed friable and granular mucosa. The extent of disease included various types such as pan-enteritis with diffuse type, pan-enteritis and mild inflammation in the middle ileum, and only ileitis. Gastroduodenitis-associated UC developed in 6/7 cases. All patients improved with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) antagonists even if TNFα antagonists had not been effective for colitis.

Conclusions

PCE was rare. The mucosal endoscopic findings were similar to those of UC, and the extent of disease varied. TNFα antagonist administration for PCE was effective.

Autoimmune enteropathy and primary biliary cholangitis after proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Autoimmune enteropathy (AIE) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are both immune-mediated diseases. AIE or PBC complicated with ulcerative colitis (UC) are rare. There are no cases of AIE and PBC diagnosed after proctocolectomy for UC reported before, and the pathogenesis of these comorbidities has not been revealed.

CASE SUMMARY

A middle-aged woman diagnosed with UC underwent subtotal colectomy and ileostomy due to the steroid-resistant refractory disease, and a restorative proctectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and proximal neoileostomy was postponed due to active residual rectal inflammation in January 2016. A few months after the neoileostomy, she began to suffer from recurrent episodes of watery diarrhea. She was diagnosed with postcolectomy enteritis and stoma closure acquired a good therapeutic effect. However, her symptoms of diarrhea relapsed in 2019, with different histological features of endoscopic biopsies compared with 2016, which showed apoptotic bodies, a lack of goblet and Paneth cells, and villous blunting. A diagnosis of AIE was established, and the patient’s stool volume decreased dramatically with the treatment of methylprednisolone 60 mg/d for 1 wk and tacrolimus 3 mg/d for 4 d. Meanwhile, her constantly evaluated cholestatic enzymes and high titers of antimitochondrial antibodies indicated the diagnosis of PBC, and treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (16 mg/kg per day) achieved satisfactory results.

CONCLUSION

Some immune-mediated diseases may be promoted by operation due to microbial alterations in UC patients. Continuous follow-up is essential for UC patients with postoperative complications.

Ulcerative colitis-related postoperative enteritis treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy: two case reports and a literature review

Several case reports have described severe postoperative enteritis shortly after total colectomy for ulcerative colitis. The very low incidence of this condition makes diagnosis and treatment difficult, and the appropriate treatment strategy is unclear. We report two cases of enteritis after surgery for ulcerative colitis, which were treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy. Case 1 involved a 22-year-old man with symptoms, such as nausea 40 days after total colectomy. Gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed patchy obliteration of the vascular pattern, erosions in the duodenum, and superficial ulcers in the small intestine. His symptoms and endoscopic findings immediately improved upon administration of infliximab; clinical remission lasted 5 years with continuous administration. Case 2 involved a 64-year-old man, who had a large amount of watery diarrhea from ileostomy that increased 5 days after total colectomy; gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed extensive ulcers in the small intestine. Symptoms and endoscopic findings improved with prednisolone, but relapsed with tapering of the corticosteroid. Administration of adalimumab resulted in marked improvement of enteritis. However, the small intestine developed a pinhole stricture, and partial resection of the small intestine was performed. Our experience with two cases indicates that anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy may play an important role in ulcerative colitis-related postoperative enteritis.

Medical treatment of pouchitis: a guide for the clinician

Pouchitis is the most common complication in patients who have undergone restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Up to 81% of IPAA patients experience pouchitis, with 40% of patients presenting within the first year of surgery. Common risk factors include genetic mutations, extensive colitis, rheumatologic disorders, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Currently, there are no medications with approved indications for pouchitis. As such, the conventional treatment of pouchitis is entirely off-label. This paper is intended to be a practical and up-to-date review of available therapies used for the management of pouchitis. The mainstay of treatment for acute pouchitis remains antibiotics, but newer therapeutics have also shown promise in the treatment of chronic pouchitis. Common lifestyle considerations that may play a role in pouchitis are also reviewed.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Medical treatment of pouchitis: a guide for the clinician The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis ("pouch") is the most common way patients who require surgery to remove their colon are able to avoid a permanent ileostomy ("ostomy"). This pouch, created from the small intestines, serves as a reservoir to hold stool. The most common complication after pouch surgery is pouchitis. Pouchitis symptoms include more frequent bowel movements, urgency to defecate, blood in the stool, incontinence, and abdominal pain. This paper is intended to be a practical review of available therapies including medications and lifestyle changes that can be considered for the management of acute pouchitis, chronic pouchitis, and cuffitis.

Mucosal lesions of the upper gastrointestinal tract in patients with ulcerative colitis: A review

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, nonspecific, relapsing inflammatory bowel disease. The colorectum is considered the chief target organ of UC, whereas upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract manifestations are infrequent. Recently, emerging evidence has suggested that UC presents complications in esophageal, stomachic, and duodenal mucosal injuries. However, UC-related UGI tract manifestations are varied and frequently silenced or concealed. Moreover, the endoscopic and microscopic characteristics of UGI tract complicated with UC are nonspecific. Therefore, UGI involvement may be ignored by many clinicians. In addition, no standard criteria have been established for patients with UC who should undergo fibrogastroduodenoscopy. Furthermore, specific treatment recommendations may be needed for patients with UC-associated UGI lesions. Herein, we review the esophageal, gastric, and duodenal mucosal lesions of the UC-associated UGI tract, as well as the potential pathogenesis and therapy.

Ulcerative enteritis. How the extension of ulcerative colitis to small bowel may jeopardize postcolectomy course: a case report and literature review

Intestinal involvement in ulcerative colitis is generally limited to the colon and rectum. We describe a life-threatening case of ulcerative enteritis occurring after colectomy. Other 53 similar cases are reported in the literature. The aim of this narrative review was to focus on ulcerative enteritis characteristics and diagnostic workup. A 25-year-old boy affected by ulcerative colitis underwent a total colectomy in an urgent setting for septic shock. Postoperative course was characterized by elevated ileostomy output, raised up to 10 L/day. Critical clinical conditions required resuscitation therapy. After exclusion of surgical complications, intestinal infections, and histologic specimen revision, the patient underwent endoscopic examination. Ileal biopsies revealed ileal localization of ulcerative colitis. Steroid treatment was finally effective. After literature revision, we classified all cases of ulcerative enteritis in three groups, according to intestinal involvement pattern and timing of clinical manifestation after operation. Out of 54 cases, 18 occurred within 1 month since colectomy (early ileitis), 10 later on (late ileitis) and 26 do not involve ileus (nonileitis). Clinical manifestation is generally severe in the first group and mild and chronic in the others. Differential diagnoses of ulcerative enteritis are represented by infectious, immunological, toxic, and ischemic disorders. Those conditions excluded, ulcerative enteritis can be easily detected by endoscopic biopsies and treated with immunosuppressive agents. Long term surveillance seems important since recurrences are described. In conclusion, clinicians should suspect ulcerative enteritis in all patients with previous colectomy history that develop unexplained gastrointestinal syndromes, in order to avoid therapeutic delay.

Ulcerative colitis-related severe enteritis: an infrequent but serious complication after colectomy

BACKGROUND AND AIM

After colectomy for ulcerative colitis (UC), very severe and sometimes lethal enteritis can develop. However, the clinical features remain uncertain because of the low incidence, diversity of symptoms, and undefined diagnostic criteria. The aim of this study was to define postoperative ulcerative colitis-related severe enteritis (UCRSE) and to investigate its clinical features.

METHODS

A retrospective multicenter study was performed as a survey of major medical facilities utilizing surgical supplies for inflammatory bowel disease in Japan from 2001 to 2014. UCRSE was defined as a case with massive intestinal bleeding, intestinal perforation, high-output stoma, and/or a requirement for medications, such as steroids and biologics. Patients with gastroduodenal lesions or pouchitis alone were excluded. The incidence, symptoms, involvement of bacteria, cytomegalovirus reactivation, treatment, and prognosis were examined for patients with UCRSE after colectomy.

RESULTS

Forty-two (0.8%) out of 5284 cases met the criteria for UCRSE. Major symptoms were massive intestinal bleeding (76.2%), which required a median of 3850 (560-18900) mL blood transfusion; high-output stoma (38.1%) with excretion of fluid of 5000 (2000-7800) mL/day; and intestinal perforation (7.1%). Hypovolemic shock (35.7%) and/or disseminated intravascular coagulation (31.0%) developed as serious complications. Tests for cytomegalovirus reactivation were positive in 26.2% of cases. The presence of pathogenic bacteria was confirmed in only 5 cases. Corticosteroids or infliximabs were effective in half of the patients. Thirteen cases (31.0%) were treated surgically and 22 cases (56.4%) required maintenance therapy. The mortality rate was 11.9%.

CONCLUSION

UCRSE is a rare but serious complication after colectomy and is sometimes life-threatening.

Secondary causes of inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), conventionally consist of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis. They occur in individuals with high risk genotype for the disease in the setting of appropriate environmental factors. The pathogenesis of IBD involves a dysregulated autoimmune response to gut dysbiosis, which in turn is triggered due to exposure to various inciting environmental factors. But there is no clearly defined etiology of IBD and this type of disease is termed as "idiopathic IBD", "classic IBD", or "primary IBD". We reviewed the current medical literature and found that certain etiological factors may be responsible for the development of IBD or IBD-like conditions, and we consider this form of de novo IBD as "secondary IBD". Currently known factors that are potentially responsible for giving rise to secondary IBD are medications; bowel altering surgeries and transplantation of organs, stem cells or fecal microbiome. Medications associated with the development of secondary IBD include; immunomodulators, anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha agents, anti-interleukin agents, interferons, immune stimulating agents and checkpoint inhibitors. Colectomy can in some cases give rise to de novo CD, pouchitis of the ileal pouch, or postcolectomy enteritis syndrome. After solid organ transplantation or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the recipient may develop de novo IBD or IBD flare. Fecal microbiota transplantation has been widely used to treat patients suffering from recurrent Clostridium difficile infection but can also causes IBD flares.

A literature review and case report of severe and refractory post-colectomy enteritis

Background

Ulcerative colitis (UC)-related post-colectomy enteritis is a very rare condition that is characterized by diffuse small-bowel mucosal inflammation following colectomy and could be very dangerous. In previously reported cases, corticosteroid therapy seemed to be the optimal choice for inducing remission; however, the patient studied herein presented with severe diarrhoea and hypovolemic shock and failed to achieve full remission with corticosteroid therapy.

Case presentation

We describe the case of a patient with severe pan-enteritis presenting with life-threatening diarrhoea complicated with hypovolemic shock and acute kidney injury after colectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) for UC; this patient was successfully treated by ileostomy closure after failing to achieve full remission with corticosteroid therapy. Next, we review other cases of post-colectomy enteritis reported in the literature and propose a flow-chart for its diagnosis and initial treatment.

Conclusion

Post-colectomy enteritis can be dangerous, and the early awareness of this condition plays a vital role. Additionally, in patients who do not respond well to corticosteroid or immunosuppressant therapy, early closure of the ileostomy and re-establishment of the natural faecal stream could be important considerations.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12876-019-0974-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.