Diagnostic difficulties in pouchitis--experience from a single institution

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical, endoscopic and histological signs of pouchitis in patients operated on because of ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Between 1984 and 2002, the Department of Surgery carried out 218 restorative proctocolectomies in patients with UC and 120 in FAP patients. The follow-up to assess the intensity of inflammatory changes included 110 patients: 72 UC and 38 FAP. During the endoscopic examination, samples were taken for routine histological examinations. The histological assessment was based on the so-called Moskwitz's Histological System. Acute pouchitis is diagnosed if the score is > or =4, and chronic condition--if the score is > or =4. We used a modified PDAI scale to analyze the symptoms, taking into account the microscopically detectable histological features of chronic pouchitis. The clinical symptoms of pouchitis were revealed in 28 patients (25.5%), endoscopic symptoms in 36 patients (32.7%), and histological parameters in 48 patients (28-58.3% with > or =4 score of acute pouchitis and 20-41.7% with > or =4 score of chronic pouchitis). The signs of acute and chronic pouchitis were evident in endoscopy and histology, with no clinical features observed in many cases. Patients with symptoms of chronic pouchitis require a continuous follow-up.