| Theme |
Therapeutic strategy for ulcerative colitis ; from standard to up-to-date |
| Title |
How to manage ulcerative colitis patients complicated with cytomegalovirus infection |
| Author |
Katsuyoshi Matsuoka |
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medeicine, School of Medicine, Keio University |
| Author |
Toshifumi Hibi |
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medeicine, School of Medicine, Keio University |
| [ Summary ] |
It has been suggested that cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections may contribute to the exacerbation of ulcerative colitis (UC) including steroid-resistance, and toxic megacolon. CMV is often reactivated in UC patients on immunosuppression. However, it is difficult to determine if CMV causes mucosal damage in UC patients, because of the existence of intestinal lesions. There is no clear evidence of the efficacy of anti-viral therapy for UC patients complicated with CMV infection. It, therefore, remains an open question whether or not we should treat CMV infections in UC patients. It is necessary to establish a diagnostic method to discriminate CMV colitis, in which CMV causes mucosal damage, from simple CMV reactivation |