[The usefulness of mesalazine suppositories for the treatment of lymphoid follicular proctitis].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lymphoid follicular proctitis (LFP) is an uncommon inflammatory condition confined to the rectum. Patients with LFP constitute a special group with clinical, endoscopic, and histological features unrelated to other types of inflammatory bowel diseases, and have been reported to be refractory to local steroid and/or oral sulfasalazine therapy. The aim of this study was to clarify whether mesalazine suppositories have a therapeutic effect in LFP.

METHODS

The histologic slides of 8 cases indexed in our pathology files as "lymphoid follicular proctitis of the rectal mucosa" from January 2001 to November 2003 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The most common symptom in the patients with LFP was rectal bleeding. The endoscopic mucosal changes were discontinuous, sparing whole circumferential involvement, and were strictly confined to the rectum. Average period of medication was 12 months. All the symptomatic patients with LFP responded to mesalazine suppository therapy. In addition, these patients did not progress to other disease including ulcerative proctitis or lymphoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Mesalazine suppository treatment is a useful therapeutic option for symptomatic patients with LFP.