Medical options for treating perianal Crohn's disease

Perianal Crohn's disease can cause significant morbidity for patients affected by the disease. However, diagnostic modalities and treatment options have progressed changing the goals of treatment from fistula "improvement" to complete cessation of drainage. Fistula closure and fibrosis of the fistula track is achieved in some patients. Furthermore, treatment has become a combined effort between medical physicians and surgeons. Simple disease can be treated with medical therapy alone consisting of antibiotics and immunomodulators. Infliximab should be added to refractory simple disease or simple disease with the presence of inflammation. If complex fistula disease is evident a surgical evaluation should also be done to determine if intervention is indicated. Complex disease should be treated with antibiotics, immunomodulators and biologic therapy from the onset. This review will summarise current data regarding medical options for treatment of fistulising Crohn's disease. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Editrice Gastroenterologica ltaliana S.r.l.