HCA healthcare journal of medicine
Cure8 research brief
Why This Matters
Mesalazine is commonly used in UC; rare pulmonary toxicity can present with fever and progressive breathlessness. Early recognition and stopping the drug plus corticosteroids may lead to recovery and avoid invasive testing.
Who Should Pay Attention
Adult patients with ulcerative colitis taking mesalazine (or having recent dose changes), their caregivers, and clinicians managing IBD or unexplained respiratory symptoms.
Study Snapshot
Story typeResearch paper
Evidence typeResearch paper
Source depthJournal abstract
What To Know
The report highlights that mesalazine, though commonly used and usually safe, can rarely cause pulmonary toxicity. In this case clinicians excluded infectious and UC-related pulmonary causes before attributing the presentation to the drug.
Stopping mesalazine and treating with corticosteroids coincided with rapid clinical, functional, and radiologic recovery, with complete resolution by two months. This is a single case report (abstract-level summary of a journal article).
It illustrates a potential adverse drug reaction to consider when a person with UC develops new respiratory symptoms after starting or increasing mesalazine. It does not establish how often this happens or the full range of outcomes.
If you or someone you care for develops unexplained new respiratory symptoms after starting or changing mesalazine, seek medical evaluation so clinicians can rule out infection and other causes and consider medication-related toxicity.
Keep In Mind
This is a single case report summarized from the article abstract. Case reports suggest possible associations but cannot determine frequency or risk factors. Management decisions should be individualized and guided by clinicians.
Source Details
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Research paper
Evidence type derived from source or registry metadata.
PublicationHCA healthcare journal of medicine
AuthorsParaschou V, Papavasileiou V, Voulgareli I +1 more
Study typeJournal article, case reports
Indexed viaEurope PMC
Source typeResearch paper
PublishedJun 1, 2026, 12:00 AM
Content availableJournal abstract
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Hepatic and splenic tuberculosis following infliximab therapy for refractory ulcerative colitis: a case report and literature review
Extrapulmonary TB can be triggered or revealed during immunosuppressive biologic therapy and may mimic other causes of liver injury; early recognition and TB-specific testing are important for timely treatment and to...
Case Report: Dupilumab-associated ulcerative colitis: elucidating the pathomechanistic link between Th2 blockade and Th17 polarized intestinal inflammation.
The case suggests that blocking IL-4/IL-13 (with dupilumab) might rarely trigger Th17-predominant colonic inflammation presenting as ulcerative colitis; patients and clinicians should be alert for new GI symptoms after...
Pulmonary involvement in inflammatory bowel diseases: report of a national cohort over the past 5 years.
Lung inflammation can occur in children with IBD but is uncommon and may be hard to spot because symptoms can be vague or absent. Early recognition matters because imaging, bronchoscopy, and sometimes biopsy help...