Chronic pouchitis affects 13% to 17% of patients with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and ulcerative colitis, and 20% with a history of acute pouchitis. It is classified by antibiotic responsiveness into chronic antibiotic-dependent pouchitis and chronic antibioticrefractory pouchitis. Pathogenesis of chronic pouchitis can range from microbially mediated to more antibiotic-resistant and immune-mediated processes. A diagnostic index combining clinical, endoscopic, and histologic components is essential for clinical practice and research. In chronic antibiotic-dependent pouchitis, remission is managed with microbiota- or immune-targeted therapies. For chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis, immune-directed therapy is primary, with vedolizumab recommended for first-line treatment. Other advanced therapies rely on less definitive evidence, and efficacy may be reduced by precolectomy exposure. This article reviews the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of chronic pouchitis.
Journal article
Gastroenterology & hepatology
01/2025
21
46 - 58
Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.