COMBINED NSAID-INDUCED LESIONS OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT: FREQUENCY, CLINICAL AND ENDOSCOPIC FEATURES, TREATMENT

Abstract

Purpose: to study the frequency of lesions of the gastrointestinal tract in NSAIDs users with rheumatoid diseases, as well as to increase the effectiveness of therapeutic and preventivestrategies. Matherials and methods: 112 patients (50 men, 62 women) with various rheumatic diseases and long-term NSAIDs were examined. All patients underwent upper and lower endoscopy, in some patients video capsule endoscopy of the small intestine was also performed. Results: аccording to the data obtained, the most common NSAID-induced gastrointestinal damage was NSAID-gastropathy, observed in 43 % of all NSAID users. 68.6 % of patients with NSAID gastropathy during video capsule endoscopy were additionally diagnosed with NSAID enteropathy, and 9 % of patients with NSAID gastropathy were also diagnosed with NSAID colopathy, which were significantly more common in patients receiving non-selective NSAIDs. Combined lesions of all sections of the gastrointestinal tract, the gastroduodenal zone, small and large intestine, were observed in a significant number of patients — in 27 % of cases, most often in patients with rheumatic diseases who took non-selective NSAIDs. A generalization of the existing experience in the treatment of patients with NSAID-induced gastrointestinal lesions showed that in the case of a combination of NSAID-gastropathy and NSAID-enteropathy, the preferred preventive strategies should be H. pylori eradication, the use of rebamipide and the use of selective COX-2 inhibitors. With the combination of NSAIDs with concomitant excess bacterial growth syndrome and NSAIDs-colopathy, rifaximin, rebamipid and sulfalazine are effective. Conclusions: the data obtained confirm the high prevalence of combined lesions of the proximal and distal gastrointestinal tract in rheumatological patients, which may indicate a universal damaging effect of NSAIDs on the entire gastrointestinal tract.