NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS AND SEGMENTAL NON-GANGRENOUS COLITIS - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Objective: To determine, in a case-control study, whether exposure to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was associated with seg mental non-gangrenous colitis. Methods: One hundred and sixteen consec utive patients with segmental non-gangrenous colitis were compared wit h 232 age- and gender-matched hospital controls (two controls for each patient). Data on past medical history and use of drugs within 30 day s before admission were collected using a standardized questionnaire a dministered to each patient. Results: Twenty patients (17.2%) and eigh t controls (3.4%) were taking NSAIDs on admission (P < 0.0001). Ninete en out of 20 patients and only two out of eight controls had used NSAI Ds within the last 30 days before admission (P < 0.005). The associati on between NSAIDs and segmental non-gangrenous colitis was significant in patients over 60 years of age (P < 0.0001) but not in those under 60 years (P = 0.4) even if in the latter group, the percentage of NSAI Ds users among patients with segmental non-gangrenous colitis was twic e as high as in controls. For all considered criteria except NSAIDs, c omparison between both groups showed that only the use of digitalis wa s significantly greater in patients than in controls (P < 0.05). Concl usions: The association between use of NSAIDs and segmental non-gangre nous colitis may be causal. The mechanism by which NSAIDs may cause th is condition remains unclear and may not be univocal.