Mesalamine treatment mimicking relapse in a child with ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND There are reports on mesalamine-induced bloody diarrhea mimicking ulcerative colitis (UC) relapse, mostly in adults. METHODS Herein we present a case of a child with UC who developed relapse of hemorrhagic colitis related to mesalamine. RESULTS A 10-year-old girl developed severe symptoms mimicking UC relapse 3 weeks after introduction of mesalamine therapy. After mesalamine was withdrawn, her symptoms improved, but deteriorated again during the challenge of mesalamine despite concomitant use of corticosteroids. CONCLUSION This is the first case report on such a young child during the concomitant use of corticosteroids.