Retrograde spreading of hydrocortisone enema in inflammatory bowel disease.

A hydrocortisone suspension enema was radiolabeled with [99mTc]technetium sulfur colloid and administered to four normal subjects and eight patients with varying degrees of inflammatory bowel disease. The extent of enema spreading was monitored using external scintigraphy for a period of up to 4 hr after administration. Pretreatment of normal subjects with an evacuation enema resulted in spreading of the radiolabeled enema throughout the entire colon. In seven of the eight patients studied, the enema migrated a distance equal to or greater than the extent of disease involvement. An in vivo stability study with an indium-111-labeled enema, using the perturbed angular correlation technique, revealed that the enema retains its stability for up to 90 min after administration. These results indicate that the use of hydrocortisone enemas may not be restricted to distal bowel disease, but may also be effective in inflammatory bowel diseases involving proximal regions of the colon.