BUDESONIDE IN THE TREATMENT OF COLLAGENOUS COLITIS

Collagenous colitis is characterized by watery diarrhea and inflammato ry infiltration associated with a subepithelial collagen deposit on co lonic biopsies despite a normal or subnormal endoscopic appearance. We here describe 5 patients treated with the locally active steroid bude sonide, Complete and partial response was observed in 3 and 2 patients , respectively. Budesonide thus seems to be of therapeutic benefit in collagenous colitis. Prospective randomized long-term studies are need ed to support this hypothesis.