Background@#Recurrent
aphthous stomatitis (
RAS) is a common disorder characterized by episodic ulcerations in the
oral mucosa. Although
colchicine has been a common systemic
treatment for
RAS, there is still considerable
uncertainty regarding its
efficacy and
drug survival in this setting. @*Objective@#We aimed to study
drug survival,
efficacy, and
safety of
colchicine for the
treatment of
RAS, especially in the real clinical setting. @*
Methods@#Between 2012 and 2016, 150
patients given
colchicine for
RAS were selected for a single-centre
retrospective study of real-world
efficacy and
drug survival. @*Results@#Among the 114
patients who qualified, 81.6% showed moderate or substantial responses (>25% improvement). Gastrointestinal
complications (16.7%),
neutropenia (3.5%), and
liver enzyme elevation (4.4%) were reported within 2 weeks after initiating
treatment.Delayed adverse manifestations were rare. One year after onset,
colchicine use was sustained in roughly one-half (49.5%) of
patients, whereas many (30.3%) had discontinued the
drug, primarily due to lack of
efficacy or adverse events. In Cox proportional
hazard analysis,
minor ulcers were identified as potential determinants of longer
drug survival owing to less
probability of non-
efficacy. However, major
ulcers had emerged as predictors of early discontinuation due to lack of
efficacy. @*Conclusion@#In
patients with
RAS,
colchicine may be an effective and safe
treatment amenable to long-term
maintenance.
Monitoring of adverse events within 2 weeks after initiating
treatment is advisable to ensure safe
administration.