BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pouchitis is one of the main complications after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of colonic histological criteria can predict the development of pouchitis. METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively reviewed 147 patients' clinical data and performed a histological evaluation of the resected total colon using Tanaka's criteria, which comprise the following 6 factors: ulceration (H1), crypt abscesses (H2), degree of mononuclear cell infiltration (MNCI) (H3), segmental distribution of MNCI (H4), eosinophil infiltration (H5), and extent of disease of resected colon (H6). RESULTS: The development of pouchitis and chronic pouchitis within 3 years after restoration of gastrointestinal continuity was recognized in 52 (35.4%) and 26 (17.7%) of the 147 patients, respectively. Using various combinations of each score, the H3 + H4 - H5 scores of patients with pouchitis or chronic pouchitis were significantly higher than those of patients without. A H3 + H4 - H5 score of >0.4 was a statistically significant risk factor for the development of both pouchitis and chronic pouchitis. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the degree of MNCI, segmental distribution of MNCI, and eosinophil infiltration from histological criteria has utility in predicting the future development of pouchitis, especially chronic pouchitis.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pouchitis is one of the main complications after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in patients with ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of colonic histological criteria can predict the development of pouchitis. METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively reviewed 147 patients' clinical data and performed a histological evaluation of the resected total colon using Tanaka's criteria, which comprise the following 6 factors: ulceration (H1), crypt abscesses (H2), degree of mononuclear cell infiltration (MNCI) (H3), segmental distribution of MNCI (H4), eosinophil infiltration (H5), and extent of disease of resected colon (H6). RESULTS: The development of pouchitis and chronic pouchitis within 3 years after restoration of gastrointestinal continuity was recognized in 52 (35.4%) and 26 (17.7%) of the 147 patients, respectively. Using various combinations of each score, the H3 + H4 - H5 scores of patients with pouchitis or chronic pouchitis were significantly higher than those of patients without. A H3 + H4 - H5 score of >0.4 was a statistically significant risk factor for the development of both pouchitis and chronic pouchitis. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the degree of MNCI, segmental distribution of MNCI, and eosinophil infiltration from histological criteria has utility in predicting the future development of pouchitis, especially chronic pouchitis.