Background & aims: Pouchitis is the most common complication of ileal pouch anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis. In some cases the inflammation becomes chronic and requires long-term medical therapy. The clinical course and medical therapy are different between acute pouchitis and chronic pouchitis. The aim of this study was to determine if there are predictors of risk for acute vs. chronic pouchitis.
Methods: Patients with acute pouchitis (N = 40) and patients with chronic pouchitis (N = 40) were matched with a control group who never had pouchitis (N = 40). Data were collected for multiple pre-, peri-, and postoperative factors and follow-up telephone calls were performed. Case-control univariable analyses and multivariate logistic regression were used to measure the association between covariates and pouchitis.
Results: Multivariate logistic regression showed that extensive colonic disease (odds ratio [OR], 2.99; P = .045 for acute pouchitis; and OR, 4.61; P = .010 for chronic pouchitis) and extraintestinal manifestations (OR, 2.88; P = .037 for acute pouchitis; and OR, 2.69; P = .047 for chronic pouchitis) were associated with both acute and chronic pouchitis. Postoperative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use was associated with chronic pouchitis, but less so with acute pouchitis. Patients with fulminant colitis as an indication for surgery had a decreased risk for developing chronic pouchitis (OR, 0.22; P = .036), but no such association was seen for acute pouchitis.
Conclusions: Extensive colonic disease and preoperative extraintestinal manifestations are associated with increased risk for both acute and chronic pouchitis. Fulminant colitis leading to colectomy is protective from development of chronic pouchitis. Postoperative use of NSAIDS is a risk factor for chronic pouchitis and possibly for acute pouchitis, and thus should be discouraged for patients who undergo ileal pouch anal anastomosis.