Sucralfate and hydrocortisone enemas in the treatment of active ulcerative proctitis--a randomized single-blind comparative study.

BACKGROUND

Sucralfate is a non-absorbable aluminium salt of sucrose octasulphate which in recent studies has proved to be of possible use in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis.

AIM

The aim of this randomized, single-blind, study was to compare 10 g sucralfate with 100 mg hydrocortisone enemas in the treatment of 40 patients (26 male and 14 female; mean age 36.5 years, range 18-65 years) with active ulcerative proctitis, twice daily for 4 weeks.

METHODS

A clinical, sigmoidoscopic and histological assessment was performed before and 4 weeks after the start of the therapy.

RESULTS

Both treatments showed significant within-treatment improvement in clinical, endoscopic and histological grades (Wilcoxon's matched pair test, P < 0.05). Between-treatment comparisons, using the Mann-Whitney test, showed that hydrocortisone is more effective than sucralfate in improving the clinical score (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Sucralfate enema treatment, which was significantly less effective than hydrocortisone enemas in this study, has very limited use in the treatment of active ulcerative proctitis.