Abstract

We performed randomized controlled study to compare the short-term therapeutic effect of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), elemental diet (ED) and polymeric diet (PD) given as primary therapy in active phase of Crohn's disease. In hospital for Crohn's disease, twenty-eight patients were given nutritional therapy: 9 patients by TPN, 10 by ED, and 9 by PD. Nutritional state, inflammatory reactions, disease activity and clinical remission rate were assessed two weeks and four weeks after treatment, and morphological findings were assessed before and after each nutritional therapy by radiographic and colonoscopic findings. Inflammatory reactions were more effectively controlled by TPN and ED than by PD, and early improvement achieved by TPN and ED was especially note-worthy. Clinical remission rate after treatment by TPN was highest in three types of nutritional approach, but no significant difference was seen at any point. In nutritional state, disease activity and morphological findings, comparable changes were effected without preference. These results suggest that nutritional therapy by total parenteral nutrition and elemental diet is superior to polymeric diet for treating active phase of Crohn's disease with marked inflammatory reactions.